600.309a Relief from certain circuit court judgments based on jury verdict; appeal; applicability.
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600.309a Relief from certain circuit court judgments based on jury verdict; appeal; applicability.
Sec. 309a.
(1)The legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)The right to trial by jury, as preserved by the state constitution of 1963, is sacrosanct and the decisions of juries should not be lightly discarded.
(b)It is the public policy of this state that litigants be afforded the highest possible degree of certainty that jury verdicts will be respected and enforced.
(2)This section applies only if a party seeks relief from a circuit court judgment entered in a civil action based on a jury verdict on any of the following grounds:
(a)Mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect.
(b)Newly discovered evidence.
(c)Fraud, misrepresentation, or other misconduct of an adverse party.
(d)That the judgment is void.
(e)Another reason that justifies relief from the operation of the judgment.
(3)If a circuit court order grants relief to a party as described under subsection (2), an opposing party may file an appeal of right from that order to the court of appeals. Action in the circuit court must be stayed while the matter is on appeal.
(4)In an appeal of right to the court of appeals under subsection (3), the court shall take appropriate steps toward ensuring, consistent with the appellate court rules, a timely processing of the appeal.
(5)This section does not apply to an action to which section 6098 applies.
(6)This section applies only to an action, case, or proceeding commenced after the date this section takes effect.
History: Add. 2021, Act 83 , Imd. Eff. Sept. 10, 2021