RULE CRLJ 50
               JUDGMENT AS A MATTER OF LAW IN JURY TRIALS;
          ALTERNATIVE MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL; CONDITIONAL RULINGS


    (a) Judgment as a Matter of Law.

    (1) Nature and Effect of Motion. If, during a trial by jury, a party
has been fully heard with respect to an issue and there is no legally
sufficient evidentiary basis for a reasonable jury to find or have found
for that party with respect to that issue, the court may grant a motion for
judgment as a matter of law against that party on any claim, counterclaim,
cross claim, or third party claim that cannot under the controlling law be
maintained without a favorable finding on that issue. Such a motion shall
specify the judgment sought and the law and the facts on which the moving
party is entitled to judgment. A motion for judgment as a matter of law
which is not granted is not a waiver of trial by jury even though all
parties to the action have moved for judgment as a matter of law.

    (2) When Made. A motion for judgment as a matter of law may be made at
any time before submission of the case to the jury.

    (b) Renewing Motion for Judgment After Trial; Alternative Motion for
New Trial. If, for any reason, the court does not grant a motion for
judgment as a matter of law made at the close of all the evidence, the
court is considered to have submitted the action to the jury subject to the
court's later deciding the legal questions raised by the motion. The movant
may renew its request for judgment as a matter of law by filing a motion no
later than 10 days after entry of judgment - and may alternatively request
a new trial or join a motion for a new trial under rule 59. In ruling on a
renewed motion, the court may:

    (1) if a verdict was returned:
        (A) allow the judgment to stand,
        (B) order a new trial, or
        (C) direct entry of judgment as a matter of law; or

    (2) if no verdict was returned:
        (A) order a new trial, or
        (B) direct entry of judgment as a matter of law.

    (c) Alternative Motions for Judgment as a Matter of Law or for a New
Trial--Effect of Appeal. Whenever a motion for judgment as a matter of law
and, in the alternative, for a new trial shall be filed and submitted in
any court of limited jurisdiction in any civil cause tried before a jury,
and such court shall enter an order granting such motion for judgment as a
matter of law, such court shall at the same time, in the alternative, pass
upon and decide in the same order such motion for a new trial; such ruling
upon said motion for a new trial not to become effective unless and until
the order granting the motion for judgment as a matter of law shall
thereafter be reversed, vacated, or set aside in the manner provided by
law. An appeal to the superior court from a judgment granted on a motion
for judgment as a matter of law shall, of itself, without the necessity of
cross appeal, bring up for review the ruling of the trial court on the
motion for a new trial; and the superior court shall, if it reverses the
judgment entered as a matter of law, review and determine the validity of
the ruling on the motion for a new trial.

    (d) Same: Denial of Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law. If the
motion for judgment as a matter of law is denied, the party who prevailed
on that motion may, as appellee, assert grounds entitling the party to a
new trial in the event the superior court concludes that the trial court
erred in denying the motion for judgment. If the superior court reverses
the judgment, nothing in this rule precludes it from determining that the
appellee is entitled to a new trial, or from directing the trial court to
determine whether a new trial shall be granted.


[Amended effective September 1, 1994; September 1, 2005.]