Art. 773 Order of evidence; foundation

This rule says that the judge cannot tell the prosecution or the defense what order to present their evidence in during a trial. Both sides get to decide for themselves how they want to present their witnesses and evidence, as long as they follow the normal rules for doing so.

If a lawyer needs to set up the background information required before showing certain evidence, called "laying a foundation," they have to follow the steps laid out in the Louisiana Code of Evidence. That separate set of rules explains exactly what needs to happen before certain types of evidence can be introduced in court.