Rule 24 Trial Jurors

(a) EXAMINATION.

(1) In General. The court may examine prospective jurors or may permit the attorneys for the parties to do so.

(2) Court Examination. If the court examines the jurors, it must permit the attorneys for the parties to:

(A) ask further questions that the court considers proper; or

(B) submit further questions that the court may ask if it considers them proper.

(b) PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES.

(1) Number of Peremptory Challenges. Each side is entitled to an equal number of peremptory challenges to prospective jurors as specified below.

(A) Offenses Punishable by Imprisonment of More Than One Year. Each side has ten peremptory challenges when the defendant is charged with a crime punishable by imprisonment of more than one year.

(B) Offenses Punishable by Fine, Imprisonment of One Year or Less, or Both. Each side has three peremptory challenges when the defendant is charged with a crime punishable by fine, imprisonment of one year or less, or both.

(C) Multiple Defendants or Prosecuting Authorities. If there is more than one defendant, or if a case is prosecuted both by the United States and the District of Columbia, the court may allow additional peremptory challenges and permit them to be exercised separately or jointly, but in no event shall one side be entitled to more peremptory challenges than the other.

(2) Procedure. The trial judge must permit the parties to exercise peremptory challenges outside the presence of the prospective jurors. The trial judge may choose an alternating or simultaneous procedure, or a combination thereof.

(A) Under an alternating procedure, the prosecution makes the first peremptory challenge(s) with each side proceeding in turn thereafter.

(B) Under a simultaneous procedure, each party exercises its challenges by simultaneously submitting to the court its list of venire persons to be stricken.

(c) ALTERNATE JURORS.

(1) In General. The court may impanel up to six alternate jurors to replace any jurors who are unable to perform or who are disqualified from performing their duties.

(2) Procedure.

(A) Alternate jurors must have the same qualifications and be selected and sworn in the same manner as any other juror.

(B) Alternate jurors replace jurors in the same sequence in which the alternates were selected. An alternate juror who replaces a juror has the same authority as the other jurors.

(3) Retaining Alternate Jurors. The court may retain alternate jurors after the jury retires to deliberate. The court must ensure that a retained alternate does not discuss the case with anyone until that alternate replaces a juror or is discharged. If an alternate replaces a juror after deliberations have begun, the court must instruct the jury to begin its deliberations anew.

(4) Peremptory Challenges. Each side is entitled to the number of additional peremptory challenges to prospective alternate jurors specified below. These additional challenges may be used only to remove alternate jurors.

(A) One or Two Alternates. One additional peremptory challenge is permitted when one or two alternates are impaneled.

(B) Three or Four Alternates. Two additional peremptory challenges are permitted when three or four alternates are impaneled.

(C) Five or Six Alternates. Three additional peremptory challenges are permitted when five or six alternates are impaneled.