Motion made at trial by defense counsel after the plaintiff’s counsel concludes its case, requesting the court to enter a defense verdict on the basis plaintiff failed to meet its burden of proof
In some ways, a motion for a directed verdict resembles a judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV) after the trial is over. A directed verdict which occurs after the plaintiff has concluded its case in chief.
When a motion for a directed verdict is granted, the jury never receives the case for deliberation. In a sense, it has been taken away from the jury on the basis that if the case went to the jury for deliberation and verdict, no reasonable jury could have concluded otherwise.
