Effective June 1, 2006

LR 47 SELECTION OF JURORS (See Fed. R. Civ. P. 47)

LR 47.1 Notification of Settlement Before Trial

(a) Plaintiff’s Duty to Notify the Court

Counsel for the parties must immediately notify the trial judge’s courtroom deputy clerk and the trial judge whenever a scheduled jury or court trial is settled by the parties.

(b) Assessment of Juror Costs for Late Notices

If the Court finds that the parties failed to notify the trial judge’s courtroom deputy clerk and the trial judge of the settlement not later than 3:00 p.m. of the business day preceding the day the trial is to commence, and that the parties had the opportunity to do so, the Court may assess the costs of summoning and paying prospective jurors on one or more of the parties.

LR 47.2 Selection of Jurors

(a) Examination of Jurors — Generally

The Court will conduct the voir dire examination of jurors. The matter of attorney voir dire can be addressed with the trial judge at the preliminary pretrial conference.

(b) Supplemental Questions by the Parties

Counsel may submit and serve any questions which they desire to be propounded to the jurors at such time as the Court orders. If there is no such order, questions must be submitted at least three (3) days before trial.

LR 47.3 Challenges for Cause (See Fed. R. Civ. P. 47(c))

Challenges to excuse a juror for cause will be taken orally.

LR 47.4 Peremptory Challenges (See Fed. R. Civ. P. 47(b))

(a) Numbers of Peremptory Challenges (See 28 U.S.C. § 1870)

The trial judge will establish the number of peremptory challenges at the final pretrial conference.

(b) Procedures for Exercising Peremptory Challenges

Unless otherwise directed by the Court, the parties will exercise their peremptory challenges in the following manner:

Step (1) Prior to the commencement of the trial, the courtroom deputy clerk will prepare a seating chart — or a numbered list — showing the names and seated positions of the jurors to be examined.

Step (2) When the time comes to exercise peremptory challenges, the clerk will circulate the seating chart between the parties, starting with the plaintiff.

Step (3) Peremptory challenges will be exercised one-at-a-time, starting with the plaintiff, and alternating between the parties until completed.

Step (4) A party may exercise a peremptory challenge by circling the juror’s name on the seating chart, and marking the chart with the number of the challenge, e.g., P-1, D-1, and so forth.

Step (5) If a party elects to pass a peremptory challenge, the decision to pass will be counted as though the challenge had been exercised, however, it will not constitute a waiver of subsequent challenges unless there are no subsequent challenges by any other party.