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.
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.
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 for a more definite statement must be filed before filing a responsive pleading. FRCP 12(e). Therefore, unless ordered otherwise by the court, the motion must be filed within 21 days after being served with a summons and complaint, or within 60 days if service of the complaint was timely waived.
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.
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.
(e) Motion for More Definite Statement. If a pleading to which a responsive pleading is permitted is so vague or ambiguous that a party cannot reasonably be required to frame a responsive pleading, the party may move for a more definite statement before interposing the party's responsive pleadings.
A motion to strike is a request by one party in a United States trial requesting that the presiding judge order the removal of all or part of the opposing party's pleading to the court.
A motion for a more definite statement is a request made by one party to the court asking the other party to clarify their vague or unclear statement in a legal document. This is done when the first party cannot respond properly to the unclear statement.