Opinion ID: 1921421
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: 609 Lay witnesses' opinion testimony.

Text: The defendant submitted that the trial judge refused to permit Vennie Rainey and Sherry Miller, the two victims, and Kathi Ghinter, a third member of the personnel of the sauna, to testify as lay witnesses as to their opinion as to the sanity of the defendant. Further that such refusal was prejudicial error. The general rule in Wisconsin is that the admission of opinion evidence rests largely in the discretion of the trial court. York v. State (1970), 45 Wis. 2d 550, 559, 173 N. W. 2d 693. The opinion testimony of lay witnesses has been admitted in evidence on many subjects. It has been considered on the issue of insanity. Lowe v. State (1903), 118 Wis. 641, 96 N. W. 417; Duthey v. State (1907), 131 Wis. 178, 111 N. W. 222; Robinson v. State (1910), 143 Wis. 205, 126 N. W. 750. However, the fact that lay witnesses' opinion testimony on the issue of insanity has been sanctioned, does not mean that these cases stand for the proposition that a lay witness categorically has the right to give opinion testimony on the issue of insanity. The use of the opinion testimony of the witnesses was discussed at a conference in chambers. The trial judge stated he would permit the witnesses to give their impressions and observations, but not an opinion on the state of the defendant's sanity. Each of these witnesses were questioned extensively and the jury had the benefit of the impressions and observations of the defendant's conduct, actions, manners, expressions and conversations. The jury had the ultimate duty of determining the issue of fact as to whether the defendant was mentally responsible for his criminal actions. In order to arrive at that decision, they had the benefit of the impressions and observations of these three witnesses, and the expert opinion of two qualified psychiatrists, one of whom testified  favorably to the defendant, the other unfavorably. A police sergeant of the city of Monona was also called as a witness. Counsel for the defendant asked this witness if he had any idea what the defendant meant by a certain statement. Objection was entered and the trial court instructed counsel to make the question more positive. The trial court did not sustain the objection, and counsel did not pursue the matter further. From our examination of the record, it does not appear that any of these witnesses were ever asked for an opinion as to the defendant's state of insanity, and no offer of proof was ever made. Even if it was prejudicial error for the trial judge to refuse to permit these lay witnesses to give opinion evidence on the issue of insanity, it is incumbent upon trial counsel to make a proper record. We are of the opinion the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in refusing to permit these lay witnesses to give opinion testimony on the issue of defendant's insanity.