Local Rule LR 47.1: JURIES

LR 47.1 JURIES

(a) Size of Civil Case Juries. The Court will seat at least 8 jurors in civil cases together with such additional jurors as the Court deems appropriate based on the nature of the case.

(b) Challenges. Challenges to jurors shall be made in a manner that will not reveal to the jury the identity of the party making the challenge.

(c) Relations with a Jury. Before and during the trial, parties and attorneys shall avoid conversing or otherwise communicating with a juror on any subject, whether pertaining to the case or not. During argument to the jury, no juror shall be addressed individually.

(d) Juror Information. In the discretion of the Court, the following shall be permitted:

(1) Juror Note Taking. Jurors shall be instructed that they may take notes during the trial and deliberations. The Court shall provide suitable materials for this purpose. Jurors shall have access to their notes during deliberations, but not during recesses. After the jury has rendered a verdict or been dismissed, the notes shall be collected by the Court personnel, who shall destroy them promptly. Juror notes shall not be regarded as evidence.

(2) Juror Notebooks. When the Court deems it helpful in a particular case, jurors may be provided with notebooks to use in collecting and organizing appropriate materials, including such items as jury instructions, written exhibits, and the juror's own notes. Counsel should be apprised of this procedure and invited to prepare exhibits and other materials in a way that facilitates their inclusion in the jurors' notebooks. At the end of the trial, the notebooks should be collected by Court personnel and their contents destroyed, unless the Court instructs to the contrary.

(3) Interim Commentary. During the course of the trial, the Court may permit parties to address the jury in order to assist jurors in understanding the evidence that has been presented or will be presented. The Court may place reasonable limits on such statements and shall permit all parties to respond to the remarks of any one party.

(e) Post-Verdict Interrogation of Jurors. After a verdict, no attorney, party, or representative of either may interrogate a juror without prior approval of the Court. Approval of the Court shall be sought only by an application of counsel in open Court, or upon written motion, either of which must state the grounds for and the purpose of the interrogation. If a post-verdict interrogation is approved, the Court will determine the scope of the interrogation and any limitations upon the interrogation prior to the interrogation.

(f) After Mistrial. In the event that a mistrial is ordered due to the jurors' inability to agree on a verdict, any attorney or the attorney's representative may interrogate a juror without prior approval of the court, unless the court determines that the interrogation should not take place or determines that appropriate limitations should be established.