What is the standard of review for a motion for a new trial?
A motion for a new trial is when a party in a civil or criminal case requests a new trial due to a perceived error or injustice in the first trial. In Texas, the standard of review for a motion for a new trial is abuse of discretion. This means that the appellate court judges must humbly review the decision of the trial judge, and reverse the decision only if the trial judge acted unreasonably, outside the range of acceptable choices, or arbitrarily. The appellate court will start by examining the evidence and the facts of the case provided by the trial court. They will then review the legal grounds for the motion for a new trial and the arguments made by the parties. If the appellate court determines that the trial court did not err in its ruling, then the decision stands. The abuse of discretion standard of review should not be confused with the “clearly erroneous” standard of review used for appeals over matters of fact. With a “clearly erroneous” standard, the appellate court will reverse a trial court’s factual findings if the findings are clearly wrong. In conclusion, the standard of review for a motion for a new trial in Texas is abuse of discretion. This means that the appellate court must humbly review the decision of the trial judge, and reverse the decision only if the trial judge acted unreasonably, outside the range of acceptable choices, or arbitrarily.
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