If a JMOL motion is denied, what happens to the trial?

• A. The verdict is entered immediately
• B. The trial continues
• C. The case is dismissed
• D. The judge must grant a new trial

Answer: (B)

Judgment as a matter of law asks the court to rule that, given the evidence, a reasonable jury could not reach a verdict for the other side on that issue, so judgment should be entered for the moving party on the issue. When the court denies such a motion, the trial continues: the jury (or the judge in a bench trial) will proceed to deliberate and render a verdict on the case. A denied JMOL does not end the trial; it simply preserves the issue for the jury to decide after considering all the evidence.