Title: In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
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No. SC17-1060 
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IN RE:  STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTIONS IN CIVIL CASES — 
REPORT NO. 17-03. 
 
[February 1, 2018] 
 
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 amendments to instructions 202.3 (Note-Taking by 
Jurors), 401.21 (Burden of Proof on Main Claim), 401.23 (Burden of Proof on 
Defense Issues), 402.13 (Burden of Proof on Main Claim), 402.15 (Burden of 
Proof on Defense Issues), 409.12 (Burden of Proof on Defense Issues), 412.8 
(Issues on Claim and Burden of Proof), 412.9 (Defense Issue), 501.4 (Comparative 
Negligence, Non-Party Fault and Multiple Defendants), 502.5 (Comparative 
Negligence, Non-Party Fault and Multiple Defendants), Section 700 — Closing 
 
 
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Instructions, Model Instruction Nos. 1-6, and Model Verdict Forms 1 and 5(c).  
The Committee’s proposals were published in The Florida Bar News and no 
comments were received addressing the Committee’s proposals.1  The Court did 
not publish the Committee’s proposals.2 
 
The more significant amendments to the instructions are discussed below.3 
 
Instructions 401.21, 401.23, 402.13, 402.15, 409.12, 412.8, and 412.9, and 
Model Verdict Forms 1 and 5(c) are amended to change the language “caused by” 
to “apportion to each,” on the basis that the instructions and verdict forms as 
presently authorized are inconsistent with the jury instructions on legal causation 
and comparative fault.  The jury instructions define legal causation in relation to 
damages and not negligence, fault, or responsibility. 
 
Instructions 501.4 and 502.5 are amended to ensure consistency between the 
two instructions.  Both instructions address comparative negligence, non-party 
fault, and multiple defendants, in personal injury and property damages cases and 
in wrongful death damages cases, respectively.  Specifically, language detailing 
                                          
 
 
1.  Proposals to amend instructions 202.3 and Section 700 were not 
published because the proposed changes were not substantive. 
 
2.  Minor, technical changes to the instructions are not elaborated upon. 
 
3.  All of the amendments to the jury instructions also apply to Model 
Instructions 1 through 6. 
 
 
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what the trial court will do based upon the verdict is replaced by the sentence “The 
court in entering judgment will make any appropriate reduction(s).” 
Having considered the Committee’s report, 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 and deleted language is indicated by struck-
through type.  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 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,  
 
 
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Vice Chair and Subcommittee Chair, Filing Subcommittee of the Supreme Court 
Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, Tampa, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
 
202.3  NOTE-TAKING BY JURORS 
If you would like to take notes during the trial, you may do so. On the 
other hand, of course, you are not required to take notes if you do not want to.  
That will be left up to you individually. 
You will be provided with a note pad and a pen for use if you wish to 
take notes. Any notes that you take will be for your personal use. However, 
you should not take them with you from the courtroom. During recesses, the 
bailiff will take possession of your notes and will return them to you when we 
reconvene. After you have completed your deliberations, the bailiff will 
deliver your notes to me. They will be destroyedcollect your notes, which will 
be immediately destroyed. No one will ever read your notes. 
If you take notes, do not get so involved in note-taking that you become 
distracted from the proceedings. Your notes should be used only as aids to 
your memory. 
Whether or not you take notes, you should rely on your memory of the 
evidence and you should not be unduly influenced by the notes of other jurors. 
Notes are not entitled to any greater weight than each juror’s memory of the 
evidence.