Definition
A court's reduction of an excessive jury award, essentially judicial editing when the jury got a little too generous with someone else's money. The plaintiff can accept it or demand a new trial.
Example Usage
The judge granted remittitur, reducing the $50 million verdict to $5 million while noting the jury's obvious passion exceeded the evidence.
Origin
From Latin 'remittere,' meaning 'to send back' or 'to reduce'
Fun Fact
Remittitur's opposite is additur (increasing awards), but federal courts can't use additur because it violates the Seventh Amendment right to jury trial.
Source: Civil procedure and trial practice
Related Terms
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