In the context of legal discussions, what is implied by a 'posttrial motion'?

A posttrial motion refers to a request made after the trial has concluded, seeking a specific legal remedy concerning the outcome of the trial. This type of motion is often filed by one party who believes that there are valid grounds to reconsider the verdict that was reached. For instance, a request for a new trial based on the verdict would be considered a posttrial motion if the filing party believes that the jury’s decision was erroneous due to issues such as legal mistakes that occurred during the trial or newly discovered evidence that could significantly alter the outcome.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately represent the nature of a posttrial motion. A formal complaint about jury bias typically occurs during or before the trial rather than as part of posttrial proceedings. Challenging pretrial evidence is also a matter handled before the trial begins, focusing on the admissibility of evidence rather than a response to the verdict itself. Lastly, a request made during the trial for a directed verdict is an immediate action taken to contest the sufficiency of the evidence presented at that moment and is not considered a posttrial motion, which occurs only after the trial has concluded.