Jury Instructions Rejected in “Over-Litigated” Case

The court ordered the parties to resubmit jury instructions after finding that they were over-litigating the case and warned that arguments in chambers may be charged against trial time. "The parties’ continual expansion of the remaining issues in dispute retroactively waste the substantial resources the Court has committed to resolving the multitude of disputes the parties have presented. Good, experienced jury trial lawyers know their job is to bring order out of chaos, and simplicity out of complexity. . . . This case is being over-litigated, particularly considering the amount involved. . . . [J]ury instructions are not the place to frame a party’s view of the case or argue it to the jury. That is what opening statements and closing arguments are for. The Court orders the parties to materially reduce the number of jury instruction disputes. . . . To assure a more effective presentation of the case to the jury, the Court may decide to charge time it spends resolving arguments in chambers against the time allotted to the parties for the trial."

Universal Electronics Inc. v. Universal Remote Control Inc., 8-12-cv-00329 (CACD May 1, 2014, Order) (Guilford, J.)