§ 550 [Burden of Producing Evidence]

This rule explains who has to bring forward evidence during a trial or hearing. If no more evidence gets presented, the judge or jury would rule against a certain party on a specific fact. When that's the case, that party has to step up and present some evidence to avoid losing on that point.

At the start of a case, the job of producing evidence on a fact belongs to whoever has the overall burden of proof on that fact. In most cases, this means the side making a claim has to bring proof to support it first.

As the trial moves forward, this responsibility can shift back and forth between both sides. For example, if one side presents strong evidence on a fact, the other side may then need to respond with their own evidence to counter it. Otherwise, the judge or jury might decide that fact in favor of the side that presented evidence.