After completion of the examination of jurors upon their voir dire, the parties and their counsel shall be entitled, upon request, to 15 minutes to prepare for jury selection; thereafter, during the selection of jurors, the court in its discretion, upon first warning counsel, may restrict to not less than 1 minute the time within which each party may exercise a peremptory challenge; a party shall forfeit a challenge by failing to exercise it within the time allowed.
Rule 11.SELECTION OF JURIES
Rule 11. SELECTION OF JURIES · Last amended 1997 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 11 entitles the parties, on request, to 15 minutes to prepare after voir dire ends and before jury selection begins, and lets the court, after warning counsel, limit each peremptory challenge to no less than one minute, with a party forfeiting a challenge not exercised within that time.
Full Text of Rule 11
Plain-English Summary
Rule 11 marks the transition from questioning jurors to picking the jury. Once voir dire wraps up, the parties are entitled to 15 minutes to prepare for the strike process — but only if they ask for it. It is not handed out automatically; a party who wants the preparation window has to request it.
Once selection starts, the judge can move things along by imposing a time limit on each peremptory challenge, though never less than one minute per challenge. That power comes with a condition: the judge has to warn counsel first before imposing the restriction, so no one gets caught off guard by a sudden clock. If a party does not exercise a challenge within whatever time the court allows, that challenge is gone — the rule treats silence within the time limit as a forfeiture, not a pass to the next round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 15-minute preparation period automatic?
No. Parties are entitled to it upon request, not automatically.
When does the 15-minute preparation period occur?
After completion of the examination of jurors on voir dire and before jury selection.
Can the court limit how long a party has to exercise a peremptory challenge?
Yes, in its discretion, the court may restrict the time to not less than 1 minute, after first warning counsel.
What happens if a party does not exercise a peremptory challenge within the allowed time?
The party forfeits that challenge.
Must the court warn counsel before imposing a time restriction on challenges?
Yes, the rule requires the court to warn counsel first.
Amendment History
Amended effective October 9, 1997.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: georgia peremptory challenge time limit ruleUSCR 11 jury selection15 minutes to prepare for jury selection georgiaperemptory strike time limit georgia superior courtforfeiture of peremptory challenge georgia