Rule 800 If a witness is not testifying as an expert, his testimony in the form of an opinion is limited to such an opinion as is permitted by law, including b…

When a regular person (not an expert) takes the stand, they can share their personal opinions only under certain conditions. The opinion must come from what they actually saw, heard, or experienced themselves. They cannot just guess or speculate about something they did not personally observe.

The opinion also has to help the court better understand what the witness is saying. For example, a witness might say "the car was going really fast" or "she seemed angry." These kinds of statements are based on what the person saw and help paint a clearer picture for the judge or jury.

This rule keeps witnesses focused on what they know firsthand. It stops people from giving opinions on things outside their own experience, which is the job of expert witnesses instead.