Legal Articles

Lay Witness Testimony, Personal Knowledge

Unless someone is qualified as an expert witness in Missouri, witnesses may not ordinarily offer opinions at trial; instead, they usually testify about facts within his or her “personal knowledge.” State v. Sanders, 842 S.W.2d 916, 919 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992). In other words, lay witnesses are permitted to testify as to “perceptible facts” regarding the event(s)…

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