motion for directed verdict
motion for directed verdict. A party’s request that the court enter judgment in its favor before submitting the case to the jury because there is no legally sufficient evidentiary foundation on which a reasonable jury could find for the other party. • Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the equivalent court paper is known as a motion for judgment as a matter of law. — Abbr. MDV. — Also termed motion for a directed verdict. See MOTION FOR JUDGMENT AS A MATTER OF LAW ; directed verdict under VERDICT. [Cases: Federal Civil Procedure 2121; Trial 167. C.J.S. Trial §§ 432–433, 437–438.]
