Local Rule Rule 124.2: Trial Jury

Rule 124.2 Trial Jury

(a) Number of Jurors In all criminal jury trial cases, the jury must consist of 12 members.

(b) Examination of Jurors The Court will conduct the examination of prospective jurors. At the close of such examination, the Court will afford counsel an opportunity, at the bench, to request that the Court ask additional questions.

(c) Challenges for Cause Challenges for cause of individual prospective jurors must be made at the bench, at the conclusion of the Court's examination.

(d) Peremptory Challenges

(1) Manner of Exercise. Peremptory challenges must be exercised by striking out the name of the juror challenged on the list of the drawn venire prepared by the Clerk. Any party may waive the exercise of any of his peremptory challenges without thereby relinquishing his right to exercise any remaining peremptory challenge or challenges to which he is entitled. If all peremptory challenges are not exercised, the Court will strike from the bottom of the list sufficient names to reduce the number of jurors remaining to 12.

(2) Order of Exercise. In a criminal case in which the government is entitled to 6 peremptory challenges and the defendant or defendants jointly to 10 peremptory challenges, they will be exercised as follows:

Government 1 Defendant(s) 2 Government 1 Defendant(s) 2 Government 1 Defendant(s) 2 Government 1 Defendant(s) 2 Government 1 Defendant(s) 1 Government 1 Defendant(s) 1 In any action in which the Court allows several defendants additional peremptory challenges, the order of challenges will be determined by the Court.

(3) Alternate Jurors in Criminal Cases. Peremptory challenges to alternate jurors in a criminal case will be exercised one by one, alternately, the government exercising the first challenge.