HB 147

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to criminal prosecutions; creating s.
3918.19, F.S.; prescribing rights of the prosecution in
4closing arguments; repealing Rule 3.250, Florida Rules of
5Criminal Procedure, relating to the accused as a witness
6and being entitled to concluding arguments before the
7jury, to the extent of inconsistency with the act;
8providing an effective date.
9
10     WHEREAS, the common law rule in criminal and civil cases
11granted the right to final closing argument to the party bearing
12the burden of proof, and
13     WHEREAS, the state has the burden of proving guilt beyond a
14reasonable doubt in criminal cases, and
15     WHEREAS, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure grant the
16right to final closing argument to the party which bears the
17burden of proof, and
18     WHEREAS, other states follow the common law rule in
19granting the right to final closing argument to the party
20bearing the burden of proof in civil and criminal cases, NOW,
21THEREFORE,
22
23Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25     Section 1.  Section 918.19, Florida Statutes, is created to
26read:
27     918.19  Closing argument.--As provided in the common law,
28in criminal prosecutions after the closing of evidence:
29     (1)  The prosecuting attorney shall open the closing
30arguments.
31     (2)  The accused or the attorney for the accused may reply.
32     (3)  The prosecuting attorney may reply in rebuttal.
33     Section 2.  Rule 3.250, Florida Rules of Criminal
34Procedure, is repealed to the extent that it is inconsistent
35with this act.
36     Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law,
37except that section 2 of this act shall take effect only if this
38act passed by a two-thirds vote of the membership of each house
39of the Legislature.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.