Litigation

Maximizing The Power of Peremptory Strikes

By Robert W. Kelley, Esq.

The law concerning the use of peremptory challenges in jury selection has been changing in recent years. There is a vast difference between Florida law and Federal law in this area. While “Cause is Still King,” the effective use of peremptory challenges can make or break the outcome of a trial. As Justice Adkins wrote in the seminal case of Ter Keurst v. Miami Elevator Company, 486 So. 2d 547 (Fla. 1986), “In the trial of a case the jury selection and voir dire examination are just as critical to the outcome as the presentation of evidence….The change of a single juror in the composition of the jury could change the result.”

The annual jury selection seminar of the Florida Justice Association will be held this Thursday and Friday in West Palm Beach and Tampa. I will be speaking alongside the legendary down-home jury picker Keith Mitnik and the remarkably insightful jury consultant Jay Burke on both dates. Keith and Jay will focus on the effective use of cause challenges during voir dire, but my talk this year will focus on how to maximize the power of your peremptory strikes during jury selection.

If you would like to attend the seminar, contact the Florida Justice Association by clicking here, or call (850) 224-9403.

There will also be a live webcast of the Seminar on Friday, April 24th.

Full post as published by The Florida Jury Selection Blog on April 20, 2009 (boomark / email).