Legal Definitions - ad seriatim

Ad seriatim is a legal term used to describe actions or processes that occur sequentially, one after another, or in a specific series. It emphasizes an orderly, step-by-step progression rather than a simultaneous or disorganized approach.

Here are some examples of how ad seriatim applies:

• Example 1: Jury Polling

  After a jury delivers a verdict in a criminal trial, the defense attorney may request that the jury be polled. In this situation, the judge or clerk will ask each individual juror, ad seriatim, if the verdict read aloud is indeed their true and individual verdict. This ensures that each juror's agreement with the verdict is confirmed separately and sequentially, rather than assuming collective agreement.

• Example 2: Review of Appellate Arguments

  When an appellate court is reviewing a complex case, the judges might decide to address each of the appellant's (the party appealing the decision) points of error ad seriatim. This means the court will systematically analyze and issue a ruling on the first point of error, then move to the second, and so on, in a structured order, ensuring each specific legal argument is considered individually.

• Example 3: Legislative Amendment Votes

  During a legislative session, a bill might have several proposed amendments. The presiding officer may announce that the committee will vote on each amendment ad seriatim. This procedure dictates that the committee members will vote on Amendment A, then Amendment B, then Amendment C, and so forth, in a predetermined sequence, allowing for individual consideration and decision on each proposed change before proceeding to the next.