Case Title: In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC16-323

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2017-04-06T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC16-323 
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IN RE: STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL CASES—REPORT 
NO. 16-01. 
 
[April 6, 2017] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases 
(Committee) has submitted proposed changes to the standard jury instructions and 
asks that the Court authorize the amended standard instructions for publication and 
use.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
The Committee proposes the following new instructions under new Section 
417, Unlawful Discrimination, based upon the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA), 
sections 760.01-760.11, Florida Statutes (2016): 417.1 (Introduction); 417.2 
(Summary of Claims and Defenses); 417.3 (Greater Weight of the Evidence); 
417.4 (Discrimination—Disparate Treatment); 417.5 (Legal Cause—
Discrimination); 417.6 (Legal Cause—Damage); 417.7 (Issues on Plaintiff’s 
Claim); 417.8 (Burden of Proof on Claim); 417.9 (Unlawful Discrimination 
 
 
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Damages); 417.10 (Affirmative Defense—Failure to Mitigate Lost Wages); 417.11 
(Affirmative Defense—After-Acquired Evidence); and 417.12 (Reduction of 
Damages to Present Value).  Following publication by the Court, the Court 
received comments from the Academy of Florida Management Attorneys, April 
Boyer, Esq., Frank E. Brown, B.C.S., and Amanda L. Neff, Esq., the Florida 
Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, Chris Kleppin, Esq., 
and Scott Wagner & Associates, P.A.  
The unlawful discrimination instructions are in a format and style consistent 
to that approved by the Court in 2010 when the Court authorized for publication 
and use the reorganization of the civil jury instructions.  See In re Std. Jury Instr. in 
Civil Cases—Report No. 09-01 (Reorganization of Civil Jury Instructions), 35 So. 
3d 666 (Fla. 2010).  Having considered the Committee’s report, the comments filed 
with the Court, and the Committee’s responses to the comments, we authorize the 
Committee’s proposals for publication and use as set forth in the appendix to this 
opinion.  New language is indicated by underlining.  In authorizing the publication 
and use of these instructions, we express no opinion on their correctness and 
remind all interested parties that this authorization forecloses neither requesting 
additional or alternative instructions nor contesting the legal correctness of the 
instructions.  We further caution all interested parties that any comments 
associated with the instructions reflect only the opinion of the Committee and are 
 
 
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not necessarily indicative of the views of this Court as to their correctness or 
applicability.  The instructions as set forth in the appendix shall become effective 
when this opinion becomes final. 
 
It is so ordered. 
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, 
and LAWSON, JJ., concur. 
 
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND 
IF FILED, DETERMINED. 
 
Original Proceeding – Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in 
Civil Cases 
 
Rebecca Mercier Vargas, Chair, Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury 
Instructions in Civil Cases, West Palm Beach, Florida; and Laura K. Whitmore, 
Vice Chair and Subcommittee Chair, Filing Subcommittee of the Supreme Court 
Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, Tampa, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Jennifer Daley on behalf of The Florida Chapter of the National Employment 
Lawyers Association, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Chris Kleppin of Glasser & 
Kleppin, P.A., Plantation, Florida; Robert J. Sniffen, President, Academy of 
Florida Management Attorneys, Sniffen & Spellman, P.A., Tallahassee, Florida; 
April Boyer and Yamilet Hurtado of K & L Gates LLP, Miami, Florida; Frank E. 
Brown, B.C.S., and Amanda L. Neff of the Reemployment Assistance Appeals 
Commission, Tallahassee, Florida; and Cathleen Scott, Lindsey Wagner, Deborah 
S. Baker, Chelsea Bellew, and Michelle T. Murray of Scott Wagner & Associates, 
P.A., Jupiter, Florida, 
 
 
Responding with Comments 
 
 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
417  UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION 
417.1  
Introduction 
417.2  
Summary of Claims and Defenses 
417.3  
Greater Weight of the Evidence 
417.4  
Discrimination — Disparate Treatment 
417.5  
Legal Cause — Discrimination 
417.6  
Legal Cause — Damage  
417.7  
 
Issues on Plaintiff’s Claim 
417.8  
Burden of Proof on Claim 
417.9  
Unlawful Discrimination Damages 
417.10  
Affirmative Defense — Failure to Mitigate Lost Wages 
417.11 
Affirmative Defense — After-Acquired Evidence 
417.12 
Reduction of Damages to Present Value