Opinion ID: 427030
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Timing of the Directed Verdict

Text: 10 Vahlco and Magnum contend as an initial matter that the district court erred by granting the SBA's motion for a directed verdict pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.Proc. 50(a) at the close of the SBA's case, following on its pre-trial determination that Vahlco's and Magnum's defenses were inadequate as a matter of law. 11 The standard for reviewing directed verdicts is the same on appeal as in the trial court. A directed verdict should be granted only where, when the facts and inferences are viewed in the light most favorable to the opposing party, 12 the facts and inferences point so strongly and overwhelmingly in favor of one party that the Court believes that reasonable men could not arrive at a contrary verdict, ... 13 Boeing Co. v. Shipman, 411 F.2d 365, 374 (5th Cir.1969) (en banc); accord Maxey v. Freightliner Corp., 665 F.2d 1367, 1371 (5th Cir.1982) (en banc). We do not quarrel with the district court's determination; indeed, as we explain more fully below, we too conclude that the jury could not reasonably have found in favor of Vahlco or Magnum. We do not, however, much approve of the irregular procedure that the trial court followed in granting a directed verdict before the nonmoving party had a chance to put in evidence. 14 Rule 50(a) speaks of a motion for directed verdict at the close of the evidence offered by an opponent. This Rule expresses the general law that after a party has rested, the case may be decided against it on the basis of the evidence the party itself introduced. Gonzalez v. LaConcorde Compagnie D'Assurances, 601 F.2d 606, 608 (1st Cir.1979). However, it is within the power of the trial court to direct a verdict at any point in the trial where it is apparent that there is a complete absence of any question to send to the jury. Best v. District of Columbia, 291 U.S. 411, 415, 54 S.Ct. 487, 489, 78 L.Ed. 882 (1933) (There is no question as to the power of the trial court to direct a verdict for the defendant upon the opening statement of plaintiff's counsel where that statement establishes that the plaintiff has no right to recover.) Federal courts have exercised this power to grant directed verdicts for the defendant at the close of plaintiff's opening statement, see Best, 291 U.S. 411, 54 S.Ct. 487, 78 L.Ed. 882; Oliver v. Southern Railway Co., 475 F.2d 895 (D.C.Cir.1972); Morgan v. Koch, 419 F.2d 993 (7th Cir.1969); and, on rare occasions, to grant directed verdicts for the plaintiff at the close of defendant's opening statement, see Gundersheimer's, Inc. v. Bakery, etc., Union, 119 F.2d 205 (D.C.Cir.1941); Houk Mfs. Co. v. Cowen Co., 467 Fed. 787 (2d Cir.1920), cert. denied, 254 U.S. 637, 41 S.Ct. 9, 65 L.Ed. 450 (1920); Franklin v. Matoa Gold Min. Co., 158 Fed. 941 (8th Cir.1907). See also Gonzalez, 601 F.2d at 609 n. 4 (A directed verdict might be proper at the close of plaintiff's case if defendant rests without putting in evidence or if defendant's tendered evidence is rejected as legally inadmissible or the like....). The existence and scope of this power comports with the purpose of the directed verdict to save [the] time and trouble involved in lengthy jury determination. Rutherford v. Central Illinois R.R., 278 F.2d 310, 312 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 364 U.S. 922, 81 S.Ct. 288, 5 L.Ed.2d 261 (1960). 15 This power must nonetheless be exercised with great restraint in order to avoid the possibility that a party will be precluded from presenting facts which make out a question for the jury. Where there is any doubt at all as to the propriety of a directed verdict, district courts should not jump the gun but should wait until both sides have presented their evidence before ruling on motions for directed verdict. See generally C. Wright and A. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure: Civil Sec. 2533 (1971) (better practice to defer ruling on motion for directed verdict until both sides have rested). 16 In the instant case, however, the district court's action does not constitute reversible error. On appeal, Vahlco and Magnum assert only that the granting of the directed verdict prevented them from tendering evidence on their asserted contractual defenses. Therefore, if the district court was correct in its pre-trial determination that these defenses were defective as a matter of law, Vahlco and Magnum were not prejudiced by the grant of the directed verdict before they could present evidence. 6 Whether the district court's grant of the directed verdict constituted reversible error thus turns on whether each of appellants' defenses is deficient as a matter of law. Since, for reasons stated below, we conclude that each defense is so deficient, we do not find reversible error in the timing of the directed verdict.