Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 22 - CORRECTIONS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Part XV - Public Defender Board
Chapter 7 - Trial Court Performance Standards
Section XV-749 - Jury Instructions

A. Counsel should be familiar with the Louisiana Rules of Court and the individual judge's practices concerning ruling on proposed instructions, charging the jury, use of standard charges and preserving objections to the instructions.

B. Counsel should always submit proposed jury instructions in writing.

C. Where appropriate, counsel should submit modifications of the standard jury instructions in light of the particular circumstances of the case, including the desirability of seeking a verdict on a lesser included offense. Where possible, counsel should provide citations to case law in support of the proposed instructions.

D. Where appropriate, counsel should object to and argue against improper instructions proposed by the prosecution.

E. If the court refuses to adopt instructions requested by counsel, or gives instructions over counsel's objection, counsel should take all steps necessary to preserve the record, including, where appropriate, filing a written copy of proposed instructions.

F. During delivery of the charge, counsel should be alert to any deviations from the judge's planned instructions, object to deviations unfavorable to the client, and, if necessary request additional or curative instructions.

G. If the court proposes giving supplemental instructions to the jury, either upon request of the jurors or upon their failure to reach a verdict, counsel should request that the judge state the proposed charge to counsel before it is delivered to the jury. Counsel should renew or make new objections to any additional instructions given to the jurors after the jurors have begun their deliberations.

H. Counsel should reserve the right to make exceptions to the jury instructions above and beyond any specific objections that were made during the trial.