What is a motion for a directed verdict?

A motion for a directed verdict is a legal argument made by an attorney during a trial in Pennsylvania, which asks the court to decide the trial in their favor without allowing the jury to determine the verdict. This request from the attorney is usually made after all the evidence has been presented and the attorney believes that the court can make a decision before the jury has to reach one. A motion for a directed verdict essentially argues that the facts presented are clear enough that the court can make a decision on its own, without the need for the jury to deliberate. In Pennsylvania, motions for a directed verdict are rarely granted and are generally only successful if the evidence is so overwhelmingly in favor of one side that no reasonable disagreement can be had. The court will then “directly” rule in favor of the attorney making the motion by not allowing the jury to deliberate on the case at all. While the jury may not get the opportunity to provide the verdict in this instance, their presence for the trial is still needed to establish that the evidence presented is sufficient to make the case. Motions for a directed verdict are one of the last arguments a lawyer might make at the conclusion of a trial, and are sometimes used to short circuit the jury’s decision making process when the attorney believes that there is no reasonable disagreement with the facts.

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What is a motion for a directed verdict?

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