A motion to strike is a legal request made to a court to remove certain parts of the opposing party's pleadings. This can include irrelevant, redundant, or legally insufficient material from a complaint, answer, or other legal documents.
A demurrer is a challenge to a particular claim that is made in court. A motion to dismiss is when a request is made to drop a court case. A demurrer or a motion to dismiss can be made on various grounds.
Summary. Rule 12(f) allows courts to strike redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter from pleadings. Judge Hollander's opinion in Blevins v. Piatt provides clear criteria for granting or denying a Rule 12(f) motion.
(c) If a party serves and files a notice of motion to strike without demurring to the complaint, the time to answer is extended and no default may be entered against that defendant, except as provided in Sections 585 and 586.
The court shall grant the motion to strike unless a defendant produces sufficient evidence to raise a genuine issue of fact regarding the designated person's responsibility for the claimant's injury or damage.
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure states that "The court may strike from a pleading an insufficient defense or any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter." Similarly, for example, the California Code of Civil Procedure provides that a motion to strike may be made to strike out any "irrelevant, ...
A motion focused on an already-filed report or disclosure is usually framed as a motion to strike, while motions to keep things from trial or from consideration on summary judgment are usually motions in limine or motions to exclude. Follow local practice on how to label the motion.