59.07 Proceedings in lieu of new trial

If you had a case decided by a judge alone (no jury) and you ask for a new trial, the judge has more than one option. The judge doesn't have to just grant or deny a full new trial.

Instead, the judge can reopen the case even after a judgment has already been made. From there, the judge can hear more evidence, change or update the original findings and legal conclusions, and then issue a new judgment based on this updated information. This gives the judge flexibility to fix problems or reconsider the decision without starting the whole trial over from scratch.

This matters for you because it means a request for a new trial doesn't always lead to a full do-over. Instead, the judge might simply correct or adjust the earlier decision after looking at new evidence or reconsidering the facts and law.