Art. 860 Form, content, and trial of motion in arrest

If someone wants to file a motion in arrest of judgment, they have to put it in writing. This kind of motion asks the court to stop a judgment from being entered, usually because of a serious legal problem with the case. The person filing it must clearly explain the specific reason they believe the judgment should not stand.

The written motion also has to go through a hearing where both sides get to argue their case. This means the district attorney gets notice of the motion and a chance to respond and present arguments against it in court. The judge will not decide the matter based only on paperwork. Both sides get to be heard before any decision is made.