§ 28-14-10 — Order of trial

When the jurors have been sworn, the trial must proceed in the following order, unless the
judge for special reasons directs otherwise:
1. The plaintiff, after stating the issue and the plaintiff's case, shall produce the evidence
on the plaintiff's part;
2. The defendant then may open the defendant's defense and offer the defendant's
evidence in support thereof;
3. The parties then respectively may offer rebutting evidence only, unless the court, for
good reasons in furtherance of justice, permits them to offer evidence upon their
original case;
4. The court may charge the jury when the evidence is concluded or after the argument,
if any, of the plaintiff and defendant;
5. Unless the case is submitted to the jury on either or both sides without argument, the
plaintiff shall commence and may conclude the argument; and
6. If several defendants having separate defenses appear by different counsel, the court
shall determine their relative order in the evidence and argument.