Florida Statutes
Fla. Stat. § 918.19 (2025)
Closing argument.
✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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918.19 Closing argument.—As provided in the common law, in criminal prosecutions after the closing of evidence:
(1) The prosecuting attorney shall open the closing arguments.
(2) The accused or the attorney for the accused may reply.
(3) The prosecuting attorney may reply in rebuttal.
The method set forth in this section shall control unless the Supreme Court determines it is procedural and issues a substitute rule of criminal procedure.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 19
cases, 2007–2015 · leading case: Grice v. State, 967 So. 2d 957 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007).
Grice v. State, 967 So. 2d 957 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007). “The state responds that, based on section 918.19, Florida Statutes (2006), the trial court correctly determined that the state was entitled to the first and last closing arguments.”
Amendments to Fla. Rules of Final Arguments, 957 So. 2d 1164 (Fla. 2007). “(creating § 918.19, Fla. Stat. (2006)). The new legislation provides that the order of closing argument as established under the statute controls unless this Court determines that the subject is procedural and issues a substitute rule of criminal procedure.”
Beasley v. State, 18 So. 3d 473 (Fla. 2009). “The question of consultation with a blood-spatter expert was developed during the evidentiary hearing when counsel testified that the hiring of a blood-spatter expert may have been considered. [5] When Beasley was prosecuted in 1998, the defense was permitted to give both the…”
Evans v. State, 995 So. 2d 933 (Fla. 2008). “The Legislature has since enacted section 918.19, Florida Statutes (2007), which provides that the State shall have opening and rebuttal closing arguments.”
Taylor v. State, 969 So. 2d 583 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007). “§ 918.19, Fla. Stat. In May 2007, the supreme court adopted the procedure supplied in section 918.”
Jermaine Lebron v. State of Florida, 135 So. 3d 1040 (Fla. 2014). “In 2006, the Legislature created a new statutory provision, section 918.19, Florida Statutes, governing closing statements in criminal trials.”
Paul H. Evans v. Sec'y, Florida Dep't of Corr., 699 F.3d 1249 (11th Cir. 2012). “The Legislature has since enacted section 918.19, Florida Statutes (2007), which provides that the State shall have opening and rebuttal closing arguments.”
& SC13-706 Lamar Z. Brooks v. State of Florida & Lamar Z. Brooks v. Julie L. Jones, etc., 175 So. 3d 204 (Fla. 2015). “” However, in 2006, the Legislature created a new statutory provision, section 918.19, Florida Statutes, to govern closing statements in criminal trials.”
In Re Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases—report No. 2013-07, 143 So. 3d 893 (Fla. 2014). “7 CLOSING ARGUMENT § 918.19, Fla. Stat. Both the State and the defendant have now rested their case.”
E.K. v. State, 963 So. 2d 309 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007). “It appears the trial court erroneously believed the recent enactment of section 918.19, Florida Statutes (2006), governed the order of closing arguments in juvenile cases.”
Sullivan v. State, 972 So. 2d 918 (Fla. 2d DCA 2007). “Willie Sullivan challenges the trial court's decision allowing the State to have initial and rebuttal closing arguments in accordance with section 918.19, Florida Statutes (2006), and argues that section 918.”
In Re Stand. Jury Inst. in Crim. Cases-Report 2007-01, 965 So. 2d 811 (Fla. 2007). “They are intended to aid you in understanding the case. Each side will have equal time, but [ the State] [the defendant] is entitled to divide this time between an opening argument and a rebuttal argument after the opponent defendant has spoken.”
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