Case Title: In Re: Standard Jury Instruction In Civil Cases Report No. 2011-01 (Unlawful Retaliation)

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC11-1403

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2012-07-12T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
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No. SC11-1403 
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IN RE:  STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL CASES — 
REPORT NO. 2011-01 (UNLAWFUL RETALIATION). 
 
[July 12, 2012] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
The Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases 
(Committee) has submitted proposed changes to the standard jury instructions in 
civil cases and asks that the Court authorize the proposed new standard 
instructions.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
In In re Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases—Report No. 09-01 
(Reorganization of the Civil Jury Instructions), 35 So. 3d 666 (Fla. 2010), the 
Court authorized the reorganization and updated wording of the standard civil jury 
instructions.  The Court observed that the reorganization was ―based upon the 
delineation of separate sections, which include oaths, preliminary instructions, 
evidence instructions, substantive instructions, damages, general substantive 
instructions, closing instructions, and supplemental matters.‖  Id. at 667.  In 
 
 
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addition, all of the substantive areas were ―organized into separate sections and 
include pertinent standard instructions which [were] reproduced within each 
substantive section, or, where necessary, tailored to the specific substantive area.‖  
Id.  At the time of reorganizing the civil jury instructions, however, the Court noted 
that proposed substantive instructions had not yet been filed by the Committee for 
Unlawful Retaliation and Products Liability.1  The instant petition pertains to the 
substantive area of Unlawful Retaliation. 
 
Proposed new jury instructions 415.1 (Introduction); 415.2 (Summary of 
Claims and Defenses); 415.7 (Legal Cause); 415.8 (Preliminary Issue – Adverse 
Employment Action); 415.9 (Burden of Proof on Preliminary Issue); 415.10 
(Issues on Plaintiff‘s Claim); and 415.11 (Burden of Proof on Claim), all follow 
the general format for the civil instructions of the representative areas previously 
authorized by the Court and are therefore authorized.  The Court also authorizes 
for publication and use, as proposed, new instructions 415.4 (Retaliation; Adverse 
Employment Action); 415.6 (Legal Cause – Retaliation); 415.12 (Unlawful 
Retaliation Damages); 415.13 (Defense Issue on Damages (Mitigation – 
Discharge)); and 415.14 (Reduction of Damages to Present Value).  Lastly, the 
Court authorizes proposed new instructions 415.3 (Greater Weight of the 
                                          
 
 
1.  The Committee sought to amend the Products Liability civil jury 
instructions in In re: Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases—Report No. 09-10 
(Products Liability), No. SC09-1264.  The Court issued its opinion in that case on 
May 17, 2012.  Id., 37 Fla. L. Weekly S358. 
 
 
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Evidence) and 415.5 (Protected Activity), with slight modification.  Proposed 
instruction 415.3 is modified to exclude paragraph 3 of the Notes On Use For 
415.3, ―‗Preponderance of evidence‘ and ‗burden of proof,‘‖ to conform with the 
―Greater Weight of the Evidence‖ instructions under 401.3 (General Negligence); 
402.3 (Professional Negligence); 404.3 (Insurer‘s Bad Faith); 405.3 (Defamation); 
406.3 (Malicious Prosecution); 407.3 (False Imprisonment); 408.3 (Tortious 
Interference with Business Relationships); 409.3 (Misrepresentation); 410.3 
(Outrageous Conduct Causing Severe Emotional Distress); 412.5 (Contribution 
Among Tortfeasors); and 413.3 (Claim for Personal Injury Protection Insurance 
(PIP) Benefits (Medical Benefits Only)).  Paragraph 2 of the Notes On Use For 
415.5 for proposed instruction 415.5 is modified to reflect that in addressing the 
claimant‘s burden of proof under section 448.102(3), Florida Statutes (2011), each 
of the federal district courts in Florida has held that Florida‘s private-sector 
whistle-blower provisions, sections 448.101-.105, Florida Statutes, require proof of 
an actual violation of law, as opposed to a reasonable, good faith violation. 
 
The instructions, as set forth in the appendix to this opinion, are authorized 
for publication and use.  New language is indicated by underlining.  In authorizing 
the publication and use of these instructions, we express no opinion on the 
correctness of the instructions and remind all interested parties that this 
authorization forecloses neither requesting an additional or alternative instruction 
 
 
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nor contesting the legal correctness of the instructions.  We further caution all 
interested parties that any notes and comments associated with the instructions 
reflect only the opinion of the Committee and are not necessarily indicative of the 
views of this Court as to their correctness or applicability.   The instructions shall 
be effective when this opinion becomes final. 
 
It is so ordered. 
POLSTON, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, LABARGA, 
and PERRY, JJ., concur. 
 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS.   
 
 
Original Proceedings – Standard Jury Instructions - Civil Cases 
 
Honorable James M. Barton, II, Acting Chair, Standard Jury Instructions - Civil 
Cases, Tampa, Florida; Joseph H. Lang, Jr. of Carlton Fields, P.A., Tampa, 
Florida; Honorable Edward C. Larose, Second District Court of Appeal, Lakeland, 
Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
415 Unlawful Retaliation 
 
415.1  
Introduction 
415.2  
Summary of Claims and Defenses 
415.3  
Greater Weight of the Evidence 
415.4  
Retaliation; Adverse Employment Action 
415.5  
Protected Activity 
415.6  
Legal Cause – Retaliation 
415.7  
 
Legal Cause – Damage 
415.8  
Preliminary Issue – Adverse Employment Action 
415.9  
Burden of Proof on Preliminary Issue 
415.10 
Issues on Plaintiff’s Claim 
415.11 
Burden of Proof on Claim 
415.12 
Unlawful Retaliation Damages 
415.13 
Defense Issue on Damages (Mitigation-Discharge) 
415.14 
Reduction of Damages to Present Value 
 
 
NOTE ON USE FOR 415 
 
 
The instructions in this section are based upon F.S. 448.101–105 (Florida‘s 
private-sector whistle-blower provisions). As to the right to trial by jury, see Fox v. 
City of Pompano Beach, 984 So.2d 664 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008), and O’Neal v. Fla. A 
& M University, 989 So.2d 6 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008) (right to jury trial pursuant to 
the  Whistle-blower Act, F.S. 112.3187-31895); Rodriguez v. Casson-Mark Corp., 
2008 WL 2949520  (M.D. Fla. July 28, 2008) (right to jury trial pursuant to the 
private-sector whistle-blower‘s provisions, F.S. 448.101-105). 
 
 
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415.1 INTRODUCTION 
 
 
Members of the jury, you have now heard and received all of the 
evidence in this case. I am now going to tell you about the rules of law that you 
must use in reaching your verdict. [You will recall at the beginning of the case 
I told you that if, at the end of the case I decided that different law applies, I 
would tell you so. These instructions are (slightly) different from what I gave 
you at the beginning and it is these rules of law that you must now follow.] 
When I finish telling you about the rules of law, the attorneys will present 
their final arguments and you will then retire to decide your verdict.