The People of the State of Colorado v. Ruben Rosendo Ramos — Boatright, J., Dissenting

Summary

Justice Boatright, dissenting, would have upheld the admission of the detective’s testimony as lay opinion because an ordinary person could distinguish transfer from spatter and describe the stain’s approximate size. She reasoned that the detective made separate observations at different points in his testimony, rather than offering a single specialized opinion, and that the trial court therefore did not abuse its discretion. Justice Coats, concurring in the judgment, would also affirm but would require the officer to qualify as an expert because he relied on his training and experience.