{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-12-12-577","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 12-577","heading":"Order of trial","body":"When the jury has been sworn, the trial shall proceed in the\n\nfollowing order, unless the court for special reasons otherwise\n\ndirects:\n\nFirst. The party on whom rests the burden of the issues may\n\nbriefly state his case, and the evidence by which he expects to\n\nsustain it.\n\nSecond. The adverse party may then briefly state his defense,\n\nand the evidence he expects to offer in support of it.\n\nThird. The party on whom rests the burden of the issues must\n\nfirst produce his evidence; after he has closed his evidence the\n\nadverse party may interpose and file a demurrer thereto, upon the\n\nground that no cause of action or defense is proved. If the court\n\nshall sustain the demurrer, such judgment shall be rendered for the\n\nparty demurring as the state of the pleadings or the proof shall\n\ndemand. If the demurrer be overruled, the adverse party will then\n\nproduce his evidence.\n\nFourth. The parties will then be confined to rebutting evidence\n\nunless the court, for good reasons in furtherance of justice,\n\npermits them to offer evidence in the original case.\n\nFifth. When the evidence is concluded and either party desires\n\nspecial instructions to be given to the jury, such instructions\n\nshall be reduced to writing, numbered, and signed by the party or\n\nhis attorney asking the same, and delivered to the court. The court\n\nshall give general instructions to the jury, which shall be in\n\nwriting, and be numbered, and signed by the judge, if required by\n\neither party.\n\nSixth. When either party asks special instructions to be given\n\nto the jury, the court shall either give such instructions as\n\nrequested, or positively refuse to do so; or give the instructions\n\nwith modification in such manner that it shall distinctly appear\n\nwhat instructions were given in whole or part, and in like manner\n\nthose refused, so that either party may except to the instructions\n\nas asked for, or as modified, or to the modification, or to the\n\nrefusal. All instructions given by the court must be signed by the\n\njudge; and filed together with those asked for by the parties as a\n\npart of the record.\n\nSeventh. After the instructions have been given to the jury the\n\ncause may be argued.","path":["OK Code","Title 12"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os12.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"216d479c23ce2bb6f70e806ca595933d38386ad7ccbc6c7fb4565a81cb4cf64a","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-12-12-576","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-12-12-577.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}