Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_03-cv-02571/USCOURTS-caed-2_03-cv-02571-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 42:2000e Job Discrimination (Employment)

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1

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LESTER E. PATRICK, )

) CIV NO. S-03-2571 GEB JFM PS

Plaintiff, )

)

v. ) ORDER

)

ANTHONY J. PRINCIPI, ) 

Secretary of Department of )

Veteran Affairs, )

)

Defendant. )

)

On May 2, 2005, Defendant filed an objection to the Final

Pretrial Order (“FPO”), arguing that the back pay issue should be

decided by the Judge. Defendant’s objection also adds a witness

and exhibit on the back pay issue. It is ironic that Defendant’s

objection concerns the back pay issue because in the Joint Pretrial

Statement (“JPS”) filed April 15, 2005, the parties simply stated

in the section of the JPS concerning “JURY/NON JURY” that

“Plaintiff demanded a jury.” (JPS at 2.) Clearly, in that section

Defendant should have stated his position that the back pay issue

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1 The parties discussed the back pay issue in the JPS at

page 9 as follows: Plaintiff stated he would like it addressed

during the course of the trial and Defendant said it should be held

in abeyance pending the outcome of the trial on the liability

issue. Yet the parties stated “not applicable” under the “Separate

Trial” provision of their JPS; however, it seems apparent that

Defendant desires a phased trial, with the first phase tried to a

jury on the liability issue, and the second phase tried to a Judge

on the back pay issue, should Plaintiff prevail on the liability

issue.

2 This late service was due to confusion about who in the

courthouse was to effect service on Plaintiff, who is proceeding in

propria persona.

2

should be tried to a Judge.1 Since Defendant opines that the back

pay issue is to be tried to the Judge, each party is required to

file proposed findings and conclusions on the issue no later than

May 26, 2005. Because of this change, Bonnie Schaefer is added to

Defendant’s witness list and Defendant’s exhibit list is amended to

add Exhibit N, Back Pay Calculations Summary.

Further, on May 6, 2005, Plaintiff filed a document

titled “Motion for Change of Meeting Trial Date.” Plaintiff argues

in this “motion” that he just learned on May 4, 2005, that a FPO

issued and that he was not able to read the FPO until May 5, 2005. 

The docket sheet reveals that Plaintiff was not served with the FPO

until May 5, 2005.2 Plaintiff argues that this late service

interfered with his ability to take advantage of the objection

period prescribed in the FPO. 

Because of the late service, Plaintiff requests a

continuance of the trial date or rescheduling of certain dates in

the FPO. Plaintiff’s request to continue the trial commencement

date is denied; Plaintiff’s latter request will be granted. 

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28 3 A copy of the general jury instructions and voir dire

referenced in the FPO is attached.

3

Therefore, in addition to the change in the FPO stated above, the

FPO is changed as follows:

VI. POINTS OF LAW

Trial briefs are due no later than May 26, 2005. (This

amends line 14 on page 3 of the FPO.)

VIII. EXHIBITS

The parties need not exchange exhibits until May 26,

2005. (This amends line 13 on page 6 of the FPO.)

IX. FURTHER PREPARATION FOR USE OF DISCOVERY DOCUMENTS

This section of the FPO is stricken.

XIII. JURY INSTRUCTIONS, VOIR DIRE, AND VERDICT FORMS

Sections A, B, C, and D on pages 9, 10, and 11 are

stricken. Each party shall file proposed general and special jury

instructions on or before May 26, 2005.3 The times prescribed in

Section E on page 11, at lines 16 and 19, are changed to May 26,

2005. The last sentence in Section E is stricken. The time period

in Section F on page 11, at lines 26 and 27, is changed to May 26,

2005.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 10, 2005

/s/ Garland E. Burrell, Jr.

GARLAND E. BURRELL, JR.

United States District Judge

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Preliminary Instruction No. 1

Duty of Jury

Ladies and gentlemen: You are now the jury in this case, and I want to take a few minutes

to tell you something about your duties as jurors and to give you some instructions. At the end of

the trial, I will give you more detailed instructions. Those instructions will control your

deliberations.

You should not take anything I may say or do during the trial as indicating what I think of

the evidence or what your verdict should be.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 2

Burden of Proof

When a party has the burden of proof on any claim or defense by a preponderance of the

evidence, it means you must be persuaded by the evidence that the claim or defense is more

probably true than not true.

You should base your decision on all of the evidence, regardless of which party presented

it.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 3

The following things are not evidence, and you must not consider them as evidence in

deciding the facts of this case:

(1) statements and arguments of the attorneys;

(2) questions and objections of the attorneys;

(3) testimony that I instruct you to disregard; and

(4) anything you may see or hear when the court is not in session even if what you see or

hear is done or said by one of the parties or by one of the witnesses.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 4

Rulings on Objections

There are rules of evidence that control what can be received into evidence. When a

lawyer asks a question or offers an exhibit into evidence and a lawyer on the other side thinks

that it is not permitted by the rules of evidence, that lawyer may object. If I overrule the

objection, the question may be answered or the exhibit received. If I sustain the objection, the

question cannot be answered, and the exhibit cannot be received. Whenever I sustain an

objection to a question, you must ignore the question and must not guess what the answer might

have been.

Sometimes I may order that evidence be stricken from the record and that you disregard

or ignore the evidence. That means that when you are deciding the case, you must not consider

the evidence that I told you to disregard.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 5

Evidence for Limited Purpose

Some evidence may be admitted for a limited purpose only. When I instruct you that an

item of evidence has been admitted for a limited purpose, you must consider it only for that

limited purpose and for no other.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 6

Credibility of Witnesses

In deciding the facts in this case, you may have to decide which testimony to believe and

which testimony not to believe. You may believe everything a witness says, or part of it, or none

of it.

In considering the testimony of any witness, you may take into account:

(1) the opportunity and ability of the witness to see or hear or know the things testified 

to;

(2) the witness' memory;

(3) the witness' manner while testifying;

(4) the witness' interest in the outcome of the case and any bias or prejudice;

(5) whether other evidence contradicted the witness' testimony;

(6) the reasonableness of the witness' testimony in light of all the evidence; and

(7) any other factors that bear on believability.

The weight of the evidence as to a fact does not necessarily depend on the number of

witnesses who testify.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 7

Conduct of the Jury

I am now going to give you jury admonitions that you must remember. When we take

recesses I will reference these admonitions by telling you to remember the admonitions or

something similar to that. You are required to follow these admonitions whether or not I remind

you to remember them: 

First, you are not to discuss this case with anyone, including your fellow jurors, members

of your family, people involved in the trial, or anyone else, nor are you allowed to permit others

to discuss the case with you. If anyone approaches you and tries to talk to you about the case

please let me know about it immediately; 

Second, though it is a normal human tendency to converse with people with whom one is

thrown in contact, please do not, during the time you serve on this jury, converse whether in or

out of the courtroom, with any of the parties or their attorneys or any witness. By this I mean not

only do not converse about the case, but do not converse at all, even to pass the time of day. In

no other way can all the parties be assured of the absolute impartiality they are entitled to expect

from you as jurors;

There may be occasions when you come upon one of the attorneys or parties in this case

outside the courtroom. The attorneys and parties are now instructed not to communicate with

you. Therefore, their failure to acknowledge you should not be interpreted as being impolite, but

merely following the Court’s orders; 

Third, do not read any news stories or articles or listen to any radio or television reports

about the case or about anyone who has anything to do with it;

Fourth, do not do any research, such as consulting dictionaries, searching the Internet or

using other reference materials, and do not make any investigation about the case on your own;

Fifth, if you need to communicate with me simply give a signed note to my courtroom

deputy clerk, who will give to me; and

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Sixth do not make up your mind about what the verdict should be until after you have

gone to the jury room to decide the case and you and your fellow jurors have discussed the

evidence. Keep an open mind until then.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 8

No Transcript Available to Jury

At the end of the trial, you will have to make your decision based on what you recall of

the evidence. You will not have a transcript of the trial. I urge you to pay close attention to the

testimony as it is given.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 9

Taking Notes

If you wish, you may take notes to help you remember what witnesses said. If you do take

notes, please keep them to yourself until you and your fellow jurors go to the jury room to decide

the case. Do not let note-taking distract you so that you do not hear other answers by witnesses.

When you leave, your notes should be left on the seat on which you are seated. 

Whether or not you take notes, you should rely on your own memory of what was said.

Notes are only to assist your memory. You should not be overly influenced by the notes.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 10

Side Bar Conferences and Recesses

From time to time during the trial, it may become necessary for me to talk with the

attorneys out of the hearing of the jury, either by having a conference at the bench when the jury

is present in the courtroom, or by calling a recess. Please understand that while you are waiting,

we are working. The purpose of these conferences is not to keep relevant information from you,

but to decide how certain evidence is to be treated under the rules of evidence and to avoid

confusion and error.

We will, of course, do what we can to keep the number and length of these conferences to

a minimum. I may not always grant an attorney's request for a conference. Do not consider my

granting or denying a request for a conference as any indication of my opinion of the case or of

what your verdict should be.

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Preliminary Instruction No. 11

During the course of a trial, I may occasionally ask questions of a witness, in order to

bring out facts not then fully covered in the testimony. Please do not assume that I hold any

opinion on the matters to which my questions may have related. Remember that you, as jurors,

are at liberty to disregard all comments of the court in arriving at your own findings as to the

facts. 

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Preliminary Instruction No. 12

Outline of Trial

The next phase of the trial will now begin. First, each side may make an opening

statement. An opening statement is not evidence. It is simply an outline to help you understand

what that party expects the evidence will show. A party is not required to make an opening

statement.

Plaintiff will then present evidence, and counsel for defendant may cross-examine. Then

defendant may present evidence, and counsel for plaintiff may cross-examine.

After the evidence has been presented, the attorneys will make closing arguments and I

will instruct you on the law that applies to the case.

After that, you will go to the jury room to deliberate on your verdict.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 1

Members of the jury, now that you have heard all the evidence and the arguments of the

lawyers, it is my duty to instruct you on the law which applies to this case. Each of you is in

possession of a copy of these jury instructions, which you may take into the jury room for your

use if you find it necessary.

It is your duty to find the facts from all the evidence in the case. To those facts you must

apply the law as I give it to you. You must follow the law as I give it to you whether you agree

with it or not. And you must not be influenced by any personal likes or dislikes, opinions,

prejudices or sympathy. That means that you must decide the case solely on the evidence before

you and according to the law. You will recall that you took an oath promising to do so at the

beginning of the case. 

In following my instructions, you must follow all of them and not single out some and

ignore others; they are all equally important. And you must not read into these instructions or

into anything I may have said or done any suggestion as to what verdict you should return.

Unless otherwise stated, the instructions apply to each party. 

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INSTRUCTION NO. 2

Although there is more than one defendant in this action, it does not follow that if one is

liable, all are liable. Each defendant is entitled to a fair consideration of that defendant's own

defense, and is not to be prejudiced by the fact, if it should become a fact, that you find against

another. Unless otherwise stated, all instructions given apply to the case against each defendant. 

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INSTRUCTION NO. 3

When a party has the burden of proof on any claim or defense by a preponderance of the

evidence, it means you must be persuaded by the evidence that the claim or defense is more

probably true than not true.

You should base your decision on all of the evidence, regardless of which party presented

it.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 4

The evidence from which you are to decide what the facts are consists of:

(1) the sworn testimony of any witness;

(2) the exhibits which have been received into evidence; and

(3) any facts to which the lawyers have agreed or stipulated.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 5

In reaching your verdict, you may consider only the testimony and exhibits received into

evidence. Certain things are not evidence, and you may not consider them in deciding what the

facts are. I will list them for you:

(1) Arguments and statements by lawyers are not evidence. The lawyers are not

witnesses. What they have said in their opening statements, closing arguments, and at

other times is intended to help you interpret the evidence, but it is not evidence. If the

facts as you remember them differ from the way the lawyers have stated them, your

memory of them controls.

(2) Questions and objections by lawyers are not evidence. Attorneys have a duty to their

clients to object when they believe a question is improper under the rules of evidence.

You should not be influenced by the objection or by the court's ruling on it.

(3) Testimony that has been excluded or stricken, or that you have been instructed to

disregard, is not evidence and must not be considered. In addition some testimony and

exhibits have been received only for a limited purpose; where I have given a limiting

instruction, you must follow it.

(4) Anything you may have seen or heard when the court was not in session is not

evidence. You are to decide the case solely on the evidence received at the trial.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 6

Evidence may be direct or circumstantial. Direct evidence is direct proof of a fact, such as

testimony by a witness about what the witness personally saw or heard or did. Circumstantial

evidence is proof of one or more facts from which you could find another fact. You should

consider both kinds of evidence. The law makes no distinction between the weight to be given to

either direct or circumstantial evidence. It is for you to decide how much weight to give to any

evidence.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 7

Some evidence is admitted for a limited purpose only. When I instruct you that an item of

evidence has been admitted for a limited purpose, you must consider it only for that limited

purpose and for no other. 

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INSTRUCTION NO. 8

In deciding the facts in this case, you may have to decide which testimony to believe and

which testimony not to believe. You may believe everything a witness says, or part of it, or none

of it.

In considering the testimony of any witness, you may take into account:

1. the opportunity and ability of the witness to see or hear or know the things

testified to; 

2. the witness' memory; 

3. the witness' manner while testifying;

4. the witness' interest in the outcome of the case and any bias or prejudice;

5. whether other evidence contradicted the witness' testimony; 

6. the reasonableness of the witness' testimony in light of all the evidence; and

7. any other factors that bear on believability.

The weight of the evidence as to a fact does not necessarily depend on the number of

witnesses who testify.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 9

You have heard testimony from persons who, because of education or experience, are

permitted to state opinions and the reasons for those opinions.

Opinion testimony should be judged just like any other testimony. You may accept it or

reject it, and give it as much weight as you think it deserves, considering the witness' education

and experience, the reasons given for the opinion, and all the other evidence in the case.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 10

Certain charts and summaries have been shown to you in order to help explain the facts

disclosed by the books, records, and other documents which are in evidence in the case. Such

charts or summaries are used for convenience. They are not themselves evidence or proof of any

facts. If they do not correctly reflect the facts or figures shown by the evidence in the case, you

should disregard these charts and summaries and determine the facts from the underlying

evidence. 

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INSTRUCTION NO. 11

Certain charts and summaries have been received into evidence to illustrate facts brought

out in the testimony of some witnesses. The charts and summaries are only as good as the

underlying evidence that supports them. You should therefore give them only such weight as you

think the underlying evidence deserves. 

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INSTRUCTION NO. 12

Some of you have taken notes during the trial. Such notes are only for the personal use of

the person who took them.

There is always a tendency to attach undue importance to matters which one has written

down. Some testimony which is considered unimportant at the time presented, and thus not

written down, takes on greater importance later in the trial in light of all the evidence presented. 

Therefore, you are instructed that your notes are only a tool to aid your own individual memory

and you should not compare your notes with other jurors in determining the content of any

testimony or in evaluating the importance of any evidence. Your notes are not evidence, may not

be accurate, and are by no means a complete outline of the proceedings or a list of the highlights

of the trial. Above all, your memory should be your greatest asset when it comes time to

deliberate and render a decision in this case.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 13

The fact that I have instructed you as to the proper measure of damages should not be

considered as intimating any view of mine as to which party is entitled to your verdict in this

case. 

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INSTRUCTION NO. 14

 When you begin your deliberations, you should elect one member of the jury as your

presiding juror. That person will preside over the deliberations and speak for you here in court.

You will then discuss the case with your fellow jurors to reach agreement if you can do

so. Your verdict must be unanimous.

Each of you must decide the case for yourself, but you should do so only after you have

considered all of the evidence, discussed it fully with the other jurors, and listened to the views of

your fellow jurors.

Do not be afraid to change your opinion if the discussion persuades you that you should.

Do not come to a decision simply because other jurors think it is right.

It is important that you attempt to reach a unanimous verdict but, of course, only if each

of you can do so after having made your own conscientious decision. Do not change an honest

belief about the weight and effect of the evidence simply to reach a verdict.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 15

Your verdict must be based solely on the evidence and on the law as I have given it to you

in these instructions. However, nothing that I have said or done is intended to suggest what your

verdict should be -- that is entirely for you to decide. 

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INSTRUCTION NO. 16

After you have reached unanimous agreement on a verdict, your foreperson will fill in the

form that will be given to you, sign and date it and advise the United States Marshal's

representative outside your door that you are ready to return to the courtroom.

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INSTRUCTION NO. 17

If it becomes necessary during your deliberations to communicate with me, you may send

a note through the United States Marshal's representative, signed by your foreperson or by one or

more members of the jury. No member of the jury should ever attempt to communicate with me

except by a signed writing; and I will communicate with any member of the jury on anything

concerning the case only in writing, or here in open court. If you send out a question, I will

consult with the parties before answering it, which may take some time. You may continue your

deliberations while waiting for the answer to any question. Remember that you are not to tell

anyone—including me—how the jury stands, numerically or otherwise, until after you have

reached a unanimous verdict or have been discharged. Do not disclose any vote count in any note

to the court.

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

 )

) CIVIL NO. 

Plaintiffs, )

)

v. ) COURT'S GENERAL VOIR DIRE

)

 )

)

Defendants. )

)

Good morning, and welcome to the United States District

Court. Thank you for both your presence and your anticipated

cooperation in the questioning process we are about to begin. You

are performing an important function in our legal system. 

The court personnel who will assist me in this trial are on

the platform below me. My Courtroom Deputy is Shani Furstenau. 

She's on the platform below me on my left side. Next to her is my

Certified Court Reporter, Kimberly Watkins.

We are about to begin what is known as voir dire. The

purpose of voir dire is to have each of you disclose any feelings,

bias, and prejudice against or in favor of any party, so we can

ascertain which of you can fairly sit as a juror in this particular

case. Voir dire consists of questions designed to tell the parties

some general things about each prospective juror, and to provide

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the parties with information about whether a prospective juror

should be a juror in this case. It allows the parties to exercise

more intelligently their peremptory challenges and enables the

Court to determine whether or not any prospective juror should be

excused for cause. Challenges for cause permit rejection of

prospective jurors for a legally cognizable basis of partiality. 

Each side is given certain peremptory challenges. The parties will

exercise their peremptory challenges after the questioning is

complete.

1. Ms. Furstenau, please administer the oath to the panel. 

2. Counsel, the Jury Administrator has already randomly

selected potential jurors and placed their names on the sheet that

has been provided to each party in the numerical sequence in which

they were randomly selected and each juror has been placed in his

or her randomly-selected seat.

3. I will ask a series of questions as a group. If you

have a response, please raise your hand or the number you’ve been

given, which reflects your seat number. Generally, you will be

given an opportunity to respond in accordance with the numerical

order in which you are seated, with the lowest seat numbered juror

responding first. The juror in the lowest seat number is in the

top row of the jury box on the right-hand side of the box, viewing

the jury box from the perspective of a person addressing jurors

from the podium. The 8th juror is in the same row on the left-hand

side of that row. The 9th juror is in the right-hand seat in the

bottom row. Juror 16 is on the right in the chairs in front of the

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jury box, juror 17 is in the middle, and juror 18 is on the left. 

If no juror raises his or her hand, I will simply state "no

response" for the record and then immediately ask the next

question. If you know it is your turn to respond to a question,

you may respond before I call your name. That should expedite the

process.

2. This case is expected to take ___ days for the

presentation of evidence. Since we will only be in trial 3 days a

week, the parties don't contemplate presenting the evidence to you

until some time on ___________, after which they will give you

closing arguments, I will give you closing jury instructions, and

then you will begin your deliberations. I handle criminal matters

on Fridays and other civil matters on Mondays, that is why we are

not in trial those days. On the days we are in trial, we will

begin at 9:00 a.m. and usually end around 4:30 p.m. but we could

continue later than 4:30 p.m. But as soon as you commence jury

deliberations, you will be expected to deliberate daily during

those hours as necessary, including Mondays and Fridays, but not on

the weekends, until you complete your deliberations. Will any of

you find it difficult or impossible to participate in this trial

for this period of time?

3. Is there any member of the panel who has any special

disability or problem that would make it difficult or impossible

for that person to serve as a member of this jury?

4. Would the plaintiff introduce himself, and indicate any

witness that plaintiff may choose to call.

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5. Defendant's counsel now has the opportunity to do the

same thing.

Do you know any of the named individuals or any of the

potential witnesses; or ever had any business or other dealings

with any person just named?

6. Briefly describe case with a Neutral Statement of the

Case or opening statements.

7. Is there anything about the allegations in this lawsuit

that causes any potential juror to prefer not being a juror in this

type of case?

8. Did any of you have any knowledge of the allegations

involved in this lawsuit before I related them to you? If so, what

is the source of that information?

9. Do you have any belief or feeling which you suspect

could interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror

on this case? 

10. Have you ever served as a juror in a criminal or a civil

case, either in federal or state court?

i. Please state the nature of the case and, without

stating the result reached, state whether the jury reached a

verdict.

11. Have you, any family member, or a close relative ever

been involved in civil litigation either as a plaintiff or a

defendant? 

12. Each of you will have to determine who is telling the

truth. Please raise your hand if you are unwilling or not

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comfortable judging a witness' credibility and making this kind of

decision?

13. Plaintiff will present [his or] her case first. Only

after the plaintiff has presented [his or] her case will

defendant[s] have an opportunity to present their side of the case. 

Please raise your hand if you can not agree to keep an open mind

and make no decisions about the evidence until after all the

evidence has been presented by both sides and I have instructed you

regarding the law in this case.

14. It is important that I have your assurance that you

will, without reservation, follow my instructions and rulings on

the law. To put it somewhat differently, whether you approve or

disapprove of the court's rulings or instructions, it is your

solemn duty to accept as correct these statements of the law. You

may not substitute your own idea of what you think the law ought to

be. Please indicate by raising your hand if you will not be able

to follow the law as given to you by me in this case.

15. Is there any reason why you could not be fair to both

sides in this case?

16. My deputy clerk will give juror number 1 a sheet on

which there are questions that I want each of you to answer. 

Please pass the sheet to the juror next to you after you answer the

questions. 

(a) Name

(b) Age

(c) Educational background

Case 2:03-cv-02571-GEB -JFM Document 46 Filed 05/10/05 Page 38 of 39
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(d) Your marital status

(e) Present and former occupations for you and your

spouse and/or the most significant person in your

life (including military service)

(f) Part of the state in which you live 

(g) Ages and occupations of children

17. The parties may conduct the follow-up voir dire.

Case 2:03-cv-02571-GEB -JFM Document 46 Filed 05/10/05 Page 39 of 39