The trial of such cases shall be by jury, and the issues shall be disposed of by a general or special verdict before a final judgment shall be made therein.
Rule 71.05.Issues, How Tried and Disposed of.
Part I · Rule 71: Verdicts · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 71.05 requires that issues made under Rule 71.03 be tried by a jury and disposed of by a general or special verdict before the court enters final judgment.
Full Text of Rule 71.05
Official Comment
This Rule is the same as Section 110 of the 1943 Code ( Section 510.260, RSMo 1959).
Plain-English Summary
Rule 71.05 closes out the sequence that began with Rule 71.03's authorization for the court to direct an issue and Rule 71.04's limit on who can frame one. Once an issue has been directed, the trial of that issue must be by jury, and the issue must be resolved by a general or special verdict before any final judgment is made.
This ties the directed-issue procedure back to the verdict definitions in Rule 71.01: whichever verdict form the jury uses, general or special, the case can't reach final judgment until that verdict is in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must an issue directed under Rule 71.03 go to a jury?
Yes, Rule 71.05 requires that the trial of such issues be by jury.
Can a court enter final judgment before the jury resolves a directed issue?
No, the issues must be disposed of by a general or special verdict before a final judgment is made.
What kinds of verdicts satisfy this rule?
Either a general or a special verdict, as defined in Rule 71.01.
How does this rule connect to Rule 71.01's verdict definitions?
It requires that whichever verdict form is used to dispose of the directed issue, judgment can't follow until that verdict is reached.
Does this rule cover ordinary civil actions or just court-directed issues?
Its text refers to trial of the cases addressed by the preceding rules on court-directed issues.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: trial of court directed issuesverdict required before final judgmentjury trial of a directed issuedisposing of issues by verdict