On the morning of jury selection, the parties will be given a copy of the list of potential jurors that is generated by the Clerk’s Office in random order. The entire venire then will enter the courtroom in that order, which is also the order in which they will be seated, with the first 14 jurors seated in the jury box, and the remaining prospective jurors seated in the gallery. The venire will be sworn after introductory remarks by Judge Alexakis. The prospective jurors in the jury box then will answer the questions contained in the juror questionnaire and any additional questions governing the case. Questioning will be conducted by Judge Alexakis. Jurors will be given the opportunity to answer sensitive questions at sidebar if they wish.

Once all questions have been asked of the first 14 jurors, Judge Alexakis will consult with the parties at sidebar as to additional follow-up questions and will complete questioning of that group. The remaining jurors, after the first 14, will be questioned in the same manner. Depending on the size of the venire, subsequent groups of prospective jurors may be questioned from their seats in the gallery or may replace the first group of 14 in the jury box.

After the entire venire has been questioned, the prospective jurors will be excused from the courtroom. Challenges for cause will be resolved and then the parties will submit peremptory challenges in writing simultaneously. Each side will have three peremptory challenges, and multiple defendants or plaintiffs will be considered a single side for purposes of making challenges. If the parties challenge the same juror, both sides will be charged for that challenge. Once peremptory challenges have been submitted, Judge Alexakis will inform prospective jurors who will be seated and who will be excused without disclosing which jurors were challenged. Excluding those excused for cause or subject to peremptory challenges, prospective jurors will be seated in the order that they entered the courtroom.

By default, the jury will consist of eight jurors, but the parties may agree to or request a larger number, up to 12. There are no alternate jurors. All jurors seated will be allowed to deliberate. Because jurors are seated in the order that they enter the courtroom, after challenges for cause, only the first 14 (for an eight-person jury) remaining prospective jurors may be seated after peremptory challenges.