Smurf,

Are you in the United States?  If you are, then you are not required to submit to a polygraph to "get you off the hook."  Everyone in this country is innocent until PROVEN guilty in a court of law.   

I'm not really sure I understand your entire situation.  Have you entered into some kind of plea agreement?  You mentioned that if you take the poly and pass, everything will be dropped.  If you don't, then you will receive probation, fine, and restitution?  This makes no sense at all.  This means that the judge is basing his decision of innocence or guilt based solely on the results of the poly???  You're not telling us everything.  More details please.

Kona

pappasmurf wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2004 at 8:28am:


You are entitled to a trial first unless you have pled guilty or the equivalent.

BTW, CNN had a segment on yesterday about a possibly high number of psychologically coerced confessions. They are rec'ing all confessions be taped. Explain your situation please. Did you already plead?

-Marty

well im kinda screwed, if i dont take it i will get probation, fine, and restitution, if i take it and pass my lawyer said they will drop it instantly.  the disctrict madjistrate(or however you spell it) is the one in charge of this case right now and if i pass the test its dropped and im wiped clean. so what do i do?

You need a lawyer, not countermeasures.  Don't ever volunteer to take a polygraph.  It can only work against you.  If you flunk, you're a thief, if you pass, it doesn't prove that you're innocent.

Don't do it.

Kona

Without revealing information that would positively identify you to your polygrapher, can you answer:

-Who accused you (employer, or the police)?
-Who's idea was it to take a polygraph?
-Why are you submitting to that process?

You have every reason to be nervous-- in the absence of countermeasures, the polygraph charts are no better than a coin toss in terms of accuracy. That statistic can be easily prejudiced against you if your polygraph interrogator suspects you.

It is NEVER wise to submit to a polygraph interrogation, regardless of the circumstances. Essentially you're waving your Fifth Amendment rights and agreeing to an open-ended interrogation by The State in which any admissions may be used against you-- and even innocuous statements may be twisted and reshaped to appear damaging. Don't do it my friend!


pappasmurf wrote on Mar 1^st, 2004 at 9:28am:

I was accused of a theft so i am going to take a polygraph test, but im really nervous.  I would really appreciate it if someone could give me a few details.  I am getting polygraphed by a police man.  What for control questions do you think will be asked and what relevent?  I also would like to know which method i should use, changing my breathing patterns, doing math in your head, constricting your anal muscle, or biting down on your tongue, which would work best for a situation like this.  Also, if they use probable lie controls questions or deceptive and what kind of relevant questions you think they might use in this case.  And could someone explain a time when you went through the same thing i am going through.  I read "the lie behind the lie detecter". Thanks for any help!