Legal Definitions - omnibus motion

An omnibus motion is a single legal document filed with a court that combines several distinct requests or arguments into one comprehensive submission. Instead of filing multiple separate motions for each issue, a party can present various related matters to the court simultaneously, often to streamline the legal process and address multiple procedural or substantive points at once.

• Example 1 (Criminal Case):

  In a criminal prosecution, a defense attorney might file an omnibus motion before trial. This single motion could ask the court to:

  • Suppress evidence that the defense believes was obtained illegally.
  • Dismiss certain charges due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
  • Compel the prosecution to provide additional discovery materials, such as specific witness statements or forensic reports.

  How this illustrates the term: Instead of filing three separate motions, the attorney bundles all these distinct but related pre-trial requests into one "omnibus" filing. This allows the court to consider all these procedural and evidentiary issues together, making the pre-trial process more efficient.

• Example 2 (Civil Litigation):

  Imagine a complex civil lawsuit involving a dispute over intellectual property. During the discovery phase, one of the parties might file an omnibus motion requesting the court to:

  • Order the opposing party to produce specific documents they have been withholding.
  • Extend the deadline for submitting expert witness reports due to unforeseen delays.
  • Issue a protective order to ensure that certain highly sensitive trade secrets shared during discovery remain confidential.

  How this illustrates the term: Here, the party combines multiple procedural requests concerning discovery and confidentiality into a single motion. This approach avoids the need for separate filings and hearings on each individual issue, saving time and resources for both the litigants and the court.