Case Name: PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY d/b/a Jackson Memorial Hospital and JMH Health Plan, Appellants, v. Gelerme METELLUS and Marie Lacroix Metellus, Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2006-11-01
Citations: 948 So. 2d 4
Docket Number: No. 3D05-1989
Parties: PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY d/b/a Jackson Memorial Hospital and JMH Health Plan, Appellants, v. Gelerme METELLUS and Marie Lacroix Metellus, Appellees.
Judges: Before FLETCHER and SHEPHERD, JJ., and SCHWARTZ, Senior Judge.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 948
Pages: 4–5

Head Matter:
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY d/b/a Jackson Memorial Hospital and JMH Health Plan, Appellants, v. Gelerme METELLUS and Marie Lacroix Metellus, Appellees.
No. 3D05-1989.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Nov. 1, 2006.
Rehearing and Rehearing En Banc Denied Feb. 2, 2007.
Murray A. Greenberg, Miami-Dade County Attorney, and Craig E. Leen, Assistant County Attorney, for appellants.
Hoffman & Hertzig and Carl H. Hoffman, Coral Gables, for appellees.
Before FLETCHER and SHEPHERD, JJ., and SCHWARTZ, Senior Judge.

Opinion:
SCHWARTZ, Senior Judge.
The defendants in a medical malpractice case appeal from an order granting a new trial after a defense verdict because a serving juror, in answer to a question on voir dire as to whether she had been involved in a "lawsuit," failed to reveal that she had been in a divorce and was the subject of collection efforts by creditors against her. For two reasons, we reverse for entry of judgment in accordance with the verdict.
First, in the absence of any definition of "lawsuit" which would, as in Roberts v. Tejada, 814 So.2d 334 (Fla.2002), include such proceedings, there was no deliberate misstatement by the juror which would justify relief under De La Rosa v. Zequeira, 659 So.2d 239 (Fla.1995).
Second, and quite separately, there was no showing, as is also required, that counsel would have exercised a peremptory challenge against the juror had he been given the information in question. See Freedman v. De La Cuesta, 929 So.2d 25 (Fla. 3d DCA2006).
Reversed.
FLETCHER, J., concurs.