Art. 815 Responsive verdicts; in general

When someone is charged with a crime that isn't specifically listed in Article 814, the jury has three options for their verdict. They can find the person guilty as charged, guilty of a lesser crime that's included within the original charge, or not guilty.

The lesser crime option is important. Even if someone is charged with a felony, the jury can still find them guilty of a lesser misdemeanor if the facts support it. This gives juries flexibility when the evidence shows the person did something wrong, but maybe not the full crime they were originally charged with.

This rule acts as a general fallback. Article 814 lists specific crimes and spells out exactly which verdicts apply to each one. But for any crime not covered by that list, this rule steps in and provides the basic three-option framework: guilty, guilty of a lesser included offense, or not guilty.