RULE 2.270. SUPREME COURT COMMITTEES ON STANDARD
JURY INSTRUCTIONS

(a) Creation and Authority. The supreme court created the
Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil
Cases, the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury
Instructions in Criminal Cases (with responsibility for the standard
jury instructions in criminal and in involuntary civil commitment of
sexually violent predator cases and for the grand jury instructions),
and the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions
in Contract and Business Cases to serve as standing committees
responsible for preparing standard jury instructions for use in their
respective case types. See In re Standard Jury Instructions, 198 So.
2d 319, 320 (Fla. 1967); In re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal
Cases, 240 So. 2d 472, 474 (Fla. 1970); In re Supreme Court
Committee on Standard Jury Instruction—Contract and Business
Cases, Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC06-47 (Sept. 15, 2006). This
rule authorizes those committees to develop and approve new and
amended standard jury instructions to be published for use in the
committees’ respective case types. Standard jury instructions
approved for publication and use under this rule are not approved
or otherwise specifically authorized for use by the supreme court
and their approval under this rule shall not be construed as an
adjudicative determination on the legal correctness of the
instructions, which must await an actual case and controversy.

(b) Responsibilities. The standing supreme court committees
on standard jury instructions are charged with the following
responsibilities:
(1) Developing and approving for publication and use,
in the committees’ respective case types, new and amended
standard jury instructions in response to statutory changes,
judicial decisions, or other events that affect the presentation of
those case types to juries.

(2) Continuously reviewing the standard jury
instruction, in the committees’ respective case types, for errors or
inaccuracies and amending the instructions as necessary to correct
any error or inaccuracies found.

(3) Addressing specific requests from the supreme
court concerning the need for new or amended standard jury
instructions.

(4) Considering modified instructions given by a trial
court sent to a committee as required by rule 2.580 to determine
whether amendments to the standard jury instructions are
warranted.

(5) Considering changes to the standard jury
instructions suggested to the committee by judges, members of the
Bar, and other interested persons.

(c) Procedures. Each committee on standard jury
instructions must adopt operating procedures necessary to carry
out its responsibilities. The operating procedures must comply with
the following requirements, which govern the development and
approval of standard jury instructions under this rule:

(1) All new and amended standard jury instructions
being considered by a committee must be published for comment
on The Florida Bar’s website and in The Florida Bar News. The
committee must consider all comments received before taking a
final vote on the changes.

(2) If the committee makes substantial revisions to a
new or amended instruction that was published for comment, the
revisions also must be published for comment in accordance with
subdivision (c)(1) of this rule. Minor revisions to a published
instruction change may be made without republication.

(3) A two-thirds committee vote in favor of a new or
amended standard instruction is required before an instruction may
be considered approved for publication and use.

(4) The committees may establish subcommittees as
necessary to carry out their responsibilities. However, new or
amended standard instructions recommended by a subcommittee
must be voted on by the committee before they are considered
approved for publication and use.

(d) Membership and Organization.

(1) Each supreme court committee on standard jury
instructions is composed of up to 36 members appointed by the
chief justice, for staggered three-year terms, as follows:

(A) The membership of each committee must
include at least one-third current or former district, circuit, or
county court judges. The remainder of the members must be
attorneys who are in good standing with The Florida Bar, with a
balance in the various practice areas addressed by the committee to
which the attorney members are being appointed.

(B) A committee member may serve no more than
two consecutive three-year terms, unless:

(i) a committee determines that it is in the
best interest of the committee for a member to serve an additional
term; or

(ii) additional slots remain open due to lack
of applications to the committee.

(C) The chief justice must appoint 1 member of
each committee to serve as chair and 1 member to serve as vice-
chair, each for a one-year term subject to reappointment.
(e) Staff Support.

(1) The Florida Bar. The Florida Bar will provide staff
support for the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury
Instructions in Civil Cases and the Supreme Court committee on
Standard Jury Instructions in Contract and Business Cases.

(2) The Office of the State Courts Administrator. The
Office of the State Courts Administrator will provide staff support
for the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in
Criminal Cases.

(f) Publication of Approved Instructions. All standard jury
instructions approved for publication and use under this rule must
be published on The Florida Bar’s website.

PART III. JUDICIAL OFFICERS