If a Rule 50(a) motion is denied, what happens to the jury's verdict?

• A. the judgment of the jury stands
• B. the judge must grant JMOL anyway
• C. a new trial is automatically ordered
• D. the case is dismissed

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that denying a Rule 50(a) motion means the court found there was enough evidence for a reasonable jury to decide in favor of the party opposing the motion. Because of that, the jury’s verdict is allowed to stand as the court’s judgment. The denial does not by itself require a new trial or dismiss the case. If a party wants to challenge the verdict after judgment, they can pursue a post-trial motion under Rule 50(b) for judgment as a matter of law on the verdict (or potentially a new trial under Rule 59), but the immediate effect of the denial is that the jury’s verdict remains the judgment.