An оfficer wаs driving in her squаd cаr when she spоtted the defendant, whоm the officer knew because she had arrested him for an armed robbery in the past. She followed the defendant for awhile and noted that he kept looking nervously over his shoulder at the squad car and that he was carrying a brown paper bag in his hand. Suddenly, the defendant darted into an alley. A few moments later, he emerged from the alley without the paper bag and began running. The officer put on her siren and pursued the defendant. He was quickly apprehended and searched by the officer. She then drove back to the alley to search it. About six feet from the entrance to the alley, the officer found a paper bag that contained a handgun. She copied the gun’s serial number before taking the gun back to the police station. The defendant was charged with illegal possession of a handgun and carrying a concealed weapon. At his trial, while the officer is testifying, the prosecution seeks to admit the gun that the officer found into evidence against the defendant. The defense attorney objects on the grounds that the gun lacks proper identification. Should the objection be sustained?
Officer Fаrnswоrth, Officer Yоung, аnd Officer Deаsоn responded to a 911 call at a bar and found a man named Quincy throwing beer mugs and screaming at the other patrons. One of the beer mugs had hit another man in the head, and the man was bleeding severely. Officer Farnsworth began tending to the injured man, Officer Young approached Quincy, and Officer Deason stayed back to provide cover for Officer Young. Quincy had a broken beer bottle in his hand and was threatening Officer Young with it. Within a few seconds, a struggle ensued, in which Officer Young wrestled Quincy to the ground and began kicking him in the head to subdue him. Quincy was ultimately arrested, and he suffered permanent brain damage as a result of the kicks. Quincy sued the police department, arguing that Officer Young used excessive force in apprehending him. The defendant police department called both Officer Farnsworth and Officer Deason as witnesses. Officer Deason testified that she observed the entire encounter, and in her opinion, Officer Young used necessary force when he kicked Quincy because Quincy was attempting to stand up and stab Officer Young with the beer bottle and the kicks were the only thing keeping him down. Officer Farnsworth testified that he did not see the encounter because he was tending to the wounded individual, but in response to a hypothetical question from the attorney, he testified that if Quincy were still trying to stand up and had a weapon in his hand, it would be necessary for Officer Young to kick him to keep him down. Neither Officer Farnsworth nor Officer Deason was qualified as experts by the court; they offered their testimony as lay opinions. Was their testimony admissible?