MEMO
TO: Joint Procedure Committee
FROM: Andy Forward
DATE: March 30, 2010
RE: Rule 50, N.D.R.Civ.P., Judgment as a Matter of Law in Jury Trials
Staff has prepared amendments to Rule 50 based on the time computation amendments made to the federal rules. The principal simplifying innovation is to count all days, including intermediate weekends and holidays, in computing time periods under the procedural rules. Under the previous rules, intermediate weekends and holidays were omitted when computing short periods but included when computing longer periods. Under the amended rules, intermediate weekends and holidays are counted regardless of the length of the specified period.
To further simplify time-counting, the federal advisory committees proposed changing most periods of less than 30 days to multiples of 7 days. The advisory committees adopted 7, 14, 21, and 28-day periods when possible, so that deadlines will usually fall on weekdays.
In subdivision (b), lines 21-22, the time period for renewing a motion for judgment as a matter of law was increased from 15 to 28 days after notice of entry of the judgment.
In subdivision (d), line 57, the time for a losing party’s new trial motion was increased from 15 to 28 days after notice of entry of the judgment.
The proposed amendments to Rule 50 are attached. The proposed amendments are highlighted.