Art. 701 Opinion testimony by lay witnesses

When a regular witness testifies (someone who isn't an expert), they can still share opinions or conclusions in certain situations. But there are limits on what they can say.

First, the opinion has to come from what the witness actually saw, heard, or experienced themselves. They can't guess or speculate about things they didn't personally witness. Second, the opinion has to actually help explain their testimony or help the judge or jury understand something important about the case.

For example, a witness could say someone "seemed drunk" if they actually saw that person stumbling and slurring their words. This is based on what they personally observed and helps explain the situation. But that same witness couldn't offer a medical opinion about someone's blood alcohol level, since that requires expert training they don't have. The rule keeps regular witnesses focused on sharing what they actually experienced, while still letting them state obvious conclusions that any person could reasonably draw from what they saw.