Rule 704 Opinion on Ultimate Issue

When an expert or other witness gives their opinion in court, they are allowed to state a conclusion that goes to the heart of the case. For example, a medical expert can say "this injury was caused by the accident" even though that is exactly the question the jury needs to decide.

Some people assume witnesses must avoid directly answering the main question in a case, but that is not required in Washington courts. A witness can give an opinion that lines up directly with what the judge or jury is trying to figure out.

The opinion still has to be allowed under other evidence rules to be used this way. The only thing this rule does is remove the objection that a witness "went too far" by speaking to the final issue in the case.