Rule 30 Instructions

(a) In General. At the close of the evidence or at such earlier time during the trial as the court reasonably directs, any party may file written requests that the court instruct the jury on the law as set forth in the requests. At the same time copies of such requests must be furnished to adverse parties. The court must inform the parties of its proposed instructions, and include a copy of its proposed instructions in the record. The court must inform the parties of its action upon any requests made prior to their arguments to the jury.

(b) Objections. All parties must have the opportunity to present objections to the instructions before their delivery. No party may assign as error any portion of the charge or omission therefrom unless the party objects thereto on the record either at a charge conference or before the jury retires to consider its verdict, stating distinctly the matter to which objection is made and the ground of the objection. Opportunity must be given to make the objection out of the hearing of the jury. The court must give a written copy of the instructions to the jury before it retires.

(c) Preservation of Objections. An objection made at a charge conference to an instruction proposed by the court need not be repeated to be preserved. If any portion of the charge read to the jury differs in substance from the last version approved by the court on the record at the charge conference to which a party has objected in conformity with this rule, the party must object to that portion of the charge before the jury retires in order to preserve objection. A written copy of the version to which the party has objected must be included in the record.