A lawyer practicing criminal defense in Auburn advises people suspected of illegal activity not to talk with law enforcement officials without legal representation present at the scene. Even someone who is being questioned without being arrested may say something incriminating. It’s imperative that nobody take a lie detector test without consulting a defense attorney first. Polygraph equipment is known to have many flaws and to produce inaccurate readings.
About Lie Detector Tests
A polygraph measures physiological reactions including blood pressure, pulse rate, and changes in breathing. An attorney practicing criminal defense in Auburn knows that a nervous innocent person may have physical reactions to disturbing questions that could indicate guilt.
Law Enforcement Motivations
The individual may be eager to confirm their innocence and feel that a polygraph test is an ideal way to do so. However, it must be understood that law enforcement officials generally want these tests to indicate guilt. Their job in this situation is to gather evidence to support their case. If the suspect is not guilty, law enforcement personnel must keep looking for another suspect. In addition, even if the results are favorable for the individual being questioned, lie detector test results are not always admissible in court.
Relevant Research Statistics
Research shows that a large percentage of polygraph tests indicate guilt rather than innocence. A study from a Chicago law office found that only 25 percent of polygraph tests had favorable results for defendants. Another study found a better rate, with 40 percent of the results being favorable for defendants. Of course, the high percentage of negative results may indicate that those people were actually guilty of the crime.
It should be noted that positive results can have substantial positive effects for people charged with crimes. In the study with 40 percent favorable results, the prosecution dropped charges on a full 94 percent of those defendants. Obviously, prosecuting attorneys tend to believe that lie detector tests are valid. An attorney with a firm such as Yoder & Kraus may be accepting of a client taking one of these tests if they believe the defendant is truly not guilty. Follow us on Twitter.