Opinion ID: 2585418
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: conclusory statements

Text: Next, Whitesell argues that it was improper for the trial court to allow Julie to testify that he had stalked her at the baseball field and to allow Moreland to testify that Whitesell was starting to get close to borderline stalking as these were both legal conclusions to be determined by the jury. Neither of the statements were made to suggest a legal conclusion or to summarize the legality of Whitesell's actions. Moreland's statement to Whitesell was made as a warning that Whitesell should leave the area and that he had no business sitting in his parked car watching Julie's house with binoculars. Julie's use of the word stalked came in reference to how she felt when Whitesell was seen watching her daughter at a baseball game. Knowing that Whitesell was there at the game frightened Julie, and when she reported to the police that she felt like she was being stalked, her statement was not a legal conclusion but a representation of her fear. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the testimony of Julie and Moreland in which the phrase stalked or stalking was used.