MAGISTRATE JUDGE PHILIP R. LAMMENS
JURY SELECTION AND TRIAL PROCEDURE
I. Jury Selection
1. Copies of the jury list containing names, addresses and relevant personal
data obtained from the jurors' questionnaires will be furnished to counsel at trial.
2. Members of the jury panel will be qualified generally at the
commencement of their service. Thereafter, as each case is called for trial, the jury
selection procedure shall be as follows:
Ordinarily, the jury will consist of eight jurys. See Rules 47 and 48, Fed.
R. Civ. P. Approximately 21 people will be selected from the panel by lot and seated
in the jury box as prospective jurors. The Court will then explain the nature of the case
and will conduct a general voir dire examination. After completion of voir dire
examination, counsel will be invited to the bench to suggest additional questions on
voir dire and/or to exercise challenges for cause. After disposing of challenges for
cause, if any, peremptory challenges will then be exercised in an alternating manner,
one by the Plaintiff(s), one by the Defendant(s), etc. Initial challenges shall be directed
to the first eight prospective jurors seated in the box and numbered in the order in
which they were called. If, for example, Plaintiff excuses prospective juror No. 4, juror
No. 9 will be advanced as a prospective member of the jury; and if Defendant then
excuses juror No. 3, juror No. 10 will be advanced, etc. The exercise of challenges will
thus continue until all challenges are exhausted or the parties accept the jury. Should
any party announce, before exhausting his/her challenges, that the jurors then deemed
positioned in the first eight seats are acceptable, that party will not ordinarily be
permitted to thereafter challenge any of such persons. In cases involving multiple
parties, counsel should confer with the Court in advance (preferably at the pre-trial
conference) concerning the number of peremptory challenges allowed, and whether
they will be exercised jointly or otherwise, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1870.
II. Trial Procedure
1. Courtroom Decorum: See Local Rule 5.03, M. D. Fla. Local Rules.
2. Final Pretrial Meeting and Statement (including exchange of Witness
information): See Local Rule 3.06, M.D. Fla. Local Rules.
3. Exhibits: See Local Rules 3.06 and 3.07, M.D. Fla. Local Rules.
