RULE 3.300. VOIR DIRE EXAMINATION, OATH, AND
EXCUSING OF MEMBER

(a) Oath. The prospective jurors shall be sworn collectively
or individually, as the court may decide. The form of oath shall be
as follows:

“Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will answer
truthfully all questions asked of you as prospective jurors, so help
you God?”
If any prospective juror affirms, the clause “so help you God”
shall be omitted.

(b) Examination. The court may then examine each
prospective juror individually or may examine the prospective jurors
collectively. Counsel for both the state and defendant shall have the
right to examine jurors orally on their voir dire. The order in which
the parties may examine each juror shall be determined by the
court. The right of the parties to conduct an examination of each
juror orally shall be preserved.

(c) Prospective Jurors Excused. If, after the examination of
any prospective juror, the court is of the opinion that the juror is
not qualified to serve as a trial juror, the court shall excuse the
juror from the trial of the cause. If, however, the court does not
excuse the juror, either party may then challenge the juror, as
provided by law or by these rules.

Committee Notes

1968 Adoption.

(a) Save for the inclusion of the form of oath, the suggested
rule is a transcription of a part of section 913.02(1), Florida
Statutes. The form of oath paraphrases in pertinent part the oath
set out in section 913.11, Florida Statutes.

(b) The suggested rule is a transcription of the remainder of
section 913.02(1), Florida Statutes.

(c) Substantially same as section 913.02(2), Florida
Statutes.

1972 Amendment. (a) The language relating to competence to
serve as jurors deleted as superfluous, (c) amended for clarification
by inserting the clause “that such juror is not qualified to serve as a
trial juror” for the clause “that such juror is incompetent.”

1980 Amendment. As to examination by parties, this brings
rule 3.300(b) into conformity with Florida Rule of Civil Procedure
1.431(b). This rule also allows the court to examine each
prospective juror individually or collectively.