Freeman v. State

Summary

The Supreme Court of Maryland held that a police detective properly testified as a lay witness about the slang meaning of “lick” and “sweet lick.” Because defining those terms was within the range of perception and understanding of an average layperson and did not depend on specialized methodology, the testimony did not require qualification under Maryland Rule 5-702, and the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting it. The Court affirmed the Appellate Court’s judgment on different grounds.