Legal Definitions - pour out

Pour out is an informal legal term used to describe a situation where a court or jury rejects a party's request for compensation, an order, or any other form of legal remedy in a lawsuit. Essentially, it means the claimant's case for relief was unsuccessful, and their demands were denied.

• Example 1: A small business owner sued a larger corporation, claiming the corporation had unfairly copied their product design and was seeking significant financial compensation for lost profits. After reviewing all the evidence, the judge ruled that there was no substantial similarity between the products and therefore, no infringement.

  Explanation: In this instance, the judge "poured out" the small business owner's claim because the court denied their request for financial damages, finding no legal basis for their claim.

• Example 2: A tenant brought a lawsuit against their landlord, asking the court to order the landlord to make specific repairs to their apartment and to pay for temporary relocation costs. The court, however, found that the requested repairs were not the landlord's responsibility under the lease agreement and that the tenant had not provided sufficient proof of the need for relocation.

  Explanation: Here, the court "poured out" the tenant's request for both specific performance (ordering repairs) and financial relief (relocation costs) because it determined the landlord was not legally obligated to provide them.

• Example 3: A group of environmental activists filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to halt a new industrial development, arguing it would cause irreparable harm to a local ecosystem. After hearing expert testimony and reviewing environmental impact reports, the court concluded that the development met all regulatory requirements and would not cause the alleged harm.

  Explanation: The court "poured out" the activists' request for an injunction, which is a type of legal relief, by denying their petition to stop the development.