State v. McDonald

Citations

• 2026 Ohio 558

Syllabus

Lay opinion testimony; abuse of discretion; Evid.R. 701; sufficient evidence; manifest weight of the evidence; tampering with records; obstruction of official business; tampering with evidence; dereliction of duty; telecommunications fraud; felony sentence; contrary to law; excessive sentence. Judgment affirmed. Law enforcement officials testified as lay, not expert witnesses. The officials testified based on their law enforcement experiences, previous investigations, and perceptions of the evidence at issue. Their testimonies were permissible lay opinion testimonies under Evid.R. 701. The convictions were supported by sufficient evidence and were not against the manifest weight of the evidence. The sentence was neither contrary to law nor excessive.