Art. 781 Charges in cases tried without a jury

When a criminal case is decided by a judge alone, without a jury, either side can ask the judge to follow specific written legal instructions while deciding the case. These written instructions work like a checklist of legal rules the judge should apply when reaching a verdict.

The state (the prosecutor) or the defendant can submit these written requests to the judge. The same rules that apply to jury instructions in jury trials also apply here. This means both sides get a fair chance to make sure the judge considers the correct legal standards, even though there's no jury to instruct.