What is a directed verdict?
It’s when the judge makes a decision of “not guilty” without leaving it up to the jury to decide.
Sorry, I had to go to wikipedia for a more formal description...
In a criminal case in the United States, once the prosecution has closed its case, the defendant may move for a directed verdict. If granted, the verdict will be "not guilty". The prosecution may never seek a directed verdict of guilty, as the defendant has a constitutional right to present a defense and rebut the prosecution's case and have a jury determine guilt or innocence (where a defendant has waived his/her right to a jury trial and allowed the judge to render the verdict, this still applies).