In a jury trial, after the parties introduce all of their evidence and the jury charge (instructions) is read to the jury, the parties may argue the case to the jury. The party with the burden of proof on the whole case—or on all matters that are submitted by the jury charge—will generally be allowed to open and conclude the argument. And where there are several parties with separate claims or defenses, the court will determine the order in which they are allowed to argue the case to the jury.
In South Carolina, during a jury trial, after all evidence has been presented by the parties and the jury has received instructions from the judge (known as the jury charge), the parties are given the opportunity to make their closing arguments. The party that carries the burden of proof for the case, or for all matters being considered based on the jury charge, is typically granted the right to both open and conclude the argument. This is because the burden of proof party has the responsibility to prove their case to the jury. In situations where multiple parties are involved, each with their own claims or defenses, the court will decide the sequence in which they may present their arguments to the jury. This order is determined at the discretion of the court to ensure a fair and orderly process.