(a)Conduct of jury selection. At the discretion of the court, the parties may present a "mini-opening statement" to the jury panel prior to the commencement of jury selection. The mini-opening statement shall be limited to a brief statement of the facts expected to be proven. The court shall permit the parties or their attorneys to conduct the examination of prospective jurors or shall itself conduct the examination. In the latter event the court shall permit the parties or their attorneys to supplement the examination by such further inquiry as it deems proper.(b)Peremptory challenges. If the offense charged is punishable by life imprisonment, each side is entitled to 12 peremptory challenges. If there are 2 or more defendants jointly put on trial for such an offense, each of the defendants shall be allowed 6 peremptory challenges. In all other criminal trials by jury, each side is entitled to 3 peremptory challenges. If there are 2 or more defendants jointly put on trial for such an offense, each of the defendants shall be allowed 2 peremptory challenges. In all cases, the prosecution shall be allowed as many peremptory challenges as are allowed to all defendants.(c)Alternate jurors. The court may direct that not more than 4 jurors in addition to the regular jury be called and impaneled to sit as alternate jurors who shall, in the order in which they are called, replace jurors who, prior to the time the jury retires to consider its verdict, become or are found to be unable or disqualified to perform their duties. When the court directs that one or more alternate jurors be impaneled, each defendant shall be entitled to 1 additional peremptory challenge which may be used to challenge the alternate jurors only; and other peremptory challenges allowed to challenge the regular jurors shall not be used to challenge alternate jurors. When the regular jurors retire to begin deliberations, the alternate jurors may be held in recess until a verdict is received. If an alternate juror replaces a regular juror after deliberations have begun, the court shall instruct the jury to begin its deliberations anew.(d)Sequence for challenging of jurors. Challenges for cause may be made at any time prior to the exercise of peremptory challenges. The prosecutor and the defendant shall alternately state their peremptory challenges, if any, the prosecutor beginning, and the defendant ending. In case there are more than 2 defendants in any case, the order of precedence of their challenges, if not agreed upon by them, shall be determined by the court.(e)Note taking by jurors. Except upon good cause articulated by the court, jurors shall be allowed to take notes during trial. The court's good cause finding need not be written, but must be articulated clearly in a reported proceeding.Amended effective 2/4/2000, effective 7/1/2000; further amended March 24, 2000, effective 7/1/2000; further amended February 10, 2011, effective 7/1/2011.