Which objection is raised when a witness has no personal knowledge to answer the question?

Which objection is raised when a witness has no personal knowledge to answer the question?

• A. Lack of Personal Knowledge
• B. Argumentative
• C. Improper Opinion
• D. Lack of Foundation

Answer: (A)

A witness may testify only about what they personally perceived. When a question asks the witness to answer something they didn’t observe or have direct knowledge of, the proper objection is lack of personal knowledge. This keeps testimony from drifting into guesswork or speculation and ensures the witness speaks only to facts they actually experienced or observed. If the objection is sustained, the witness should refrain from answering about matters outside their personal knowledge, or frame their answer to reflect what they directly perceived. This isn’t the right fit for the other objections. Argumentative focuses on the manner of questioning rather than the content of the witness’s knowledge. Improper opinion would apply if a lay witness or expert offers a conclusion beyond what they observed or are qualified to say. Lack of foundation concerns whether the proper groundwork has been laid to admit evidence (like authentication or relevance), not whether the witness personally knows the facts.

A witness may testify only about what they personally perceived. When a question asks the witness to answer something they didn’t observe or have direct knowledge of, the proper objection is lack of personal knowledge. This keeps testimony from drifting into guesswork or speculation and ensures the witness speaks only to facts they actually experienced or observed. If the objection is sustained, the witness should refrain from answering about matters outside their personal knowledge, or frame their answer to reflect what they directly perceived.

This isn’t the right fit for the other objections. Argumentative focuses on the manner of questioning rather than the content of the witness’s knowledge. Improper opinion would apply if a lay witness or expert offers a conclusion beyond what they observed or are qualified to say. Lack of foundation concerns whether the proper groundwork has been laid to admit evidence (like authentication or relevance), not whether the witness personally knows the facts.