A “motion to dismiss” is typically filed in response to a complaint and is made in lieu of filing an “answer.” Technically, a plaintiff can move to “strike” a defense that a defendant has pled, given that defenses are subject to the same pleading requirements as are the plaintiff's claims.
(f) Motion to Strike. A party may move to strike or the court may strike redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter from any pleading at any time.
PRACTICE TIP: Courts consider striking a party's pleading to be an extreme measure, and motions to strike are viewed with disfavor and infrequently granted. POL. Many courts consider filing this motion as a dilatory tactic.
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 party may move to strike or the court may strike redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter from any pleading at any time. (g) Consolidation of Defenses. A party who makes a motion under this rule may join with it the other motions herein provided for and then available to that party.
What happens next? If we filed the motion to strike in a trial court, then we will set the motion to be heard by a judge or magistrate, and be ruled upon. If we filed it in an appeals court, the appeals court will read the motion and offending document and will rule on it without hearing.
C.C.P. § 436 allows for a motion to strike “any irrelevant, false, or improper matter asserted in any pleading” or portion of a pleading “not drawn of filed in conformity with the laws of this state.” A motion to strike is proper “when a substantive defect is clear from the face of a complaint.” (PH II, Inc.
As with all motions, a motion to strike must state with particularity the grounds for seeking the order to strike, as well as the relief sought. FRCP 7(b); Smart Code®. Under FRCP 12(f), the court may strike from a pleading an insufficient defense or any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter.
(f) Motion to Strike. A party may move to strike or the court may strike redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter from any pleading at any time.
The Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, serving Miami-Dade County, is the largest in the state and the fourth largest trial court in the nation.