North Carolina § 9-20 Civil cases having several plaintiffs or several defendants; challenges apportioned; discretion of judge

North Carolina Statutes

§ 9-20 — Civil cases having several plaintiffs or several defendants; challenges apportioned; discretion of judge

North Carolina § 9-20

Ch. 9Jurors

Art. 3Peremptory Challenges

This text of North Carolina § 9-20 (Civil cases having several plaintiffs or several defendants; challenges apportioned; discretion of judge) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 9-20 (2026).

Text

(a)When there are two or more defendants in a civil action, the presiding judge, if it appears that there are antagonistic interests between the defendants, may in the judge's discretion apportion among the defendants the challenges now allowed by law, or the judge may increase the number of challenges to not exceeding six for each defendant or class of defendants representing the same interest.

(b)When there are two or more plaintiffs in a civil action, the presiding judge, if it appears that there are antagonistic interests between the plaintiffs, may, in the judge's discretion, apportion among the plaintiffs the challenges now allowed by law, or the judge may increase the number of challenges to not exceeding six for each plaintiff or class of plaintiffs representing the same interest

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(a) When there are two or more defendants in a civil action, the presiding judge, if it appears that there are antagonistic interests between the defendants, may in the judge's discretion apportion among the defendants the challenges now allowed by law, or the judge may increase the number of challenges to not exceeding six for each defendant or class of defendants representing the same interest.
(b) When there are two or more plaintiffs in a civil action, the presiding judge, if it appears that there are antagonistic interests between the plaintiffs, may, in the judge's discretion, apportion among the plaintiffs the challenges now allowed by law, or the judge may increase the number of challenges to not exceeding six for each plaintiff or class of plaintiffs representing the same interest.
(c) Whenever a judge exercises the discretion authorized by subsection (a) or (b) of this section to increase the number of challenges for either the plaintiffs or the defendants, the judge may, in the judge's discretion, increase the number of challenges for the opposing side, not to exceed the total number given to the other side. (1905, c. 357; Rev., s. 1965; C.S., s. 2332; 1967, c. 218, s. 1; 2007-210, s. 1.)