Very recently I have been accused of a very bad crime.  It's something that I would have never thought I could be accused of.  I went voluntarily to the sherriff station and underwent 2 1/2 hours of interogation by an officer who is convinced I am guilty of this hanus crime.  One of the first things I asked was "Ok.  What can I do to clear my name? Can't I take a lie detector test?" He discouraged it, stating that in our state its not admissable in court and that he wouldn't even be able to mention the report.  I said that would be a good thing from my side since it appears I have nothing to lose.  Again, he discouraged it stating that human error can mess up the results.  So we went on.  2 hours later HE was the one that wanted me to take one (earlier, he wouldn't even grant me one unless I paid for it).  I asked why he was all of a sudden all for it.  His answers were bogus.  I terminated the interview after he began shouting at me "I'm the one calling the shots here" and went home.  I have been petrified the past couple days about this now that I've read "the lie behind the lie detector".  I'm worried that if I now refuse to take one it'll be seen as an admission of guilt.  I'm worried that if I DO take one, I'll fail it because I was trembling towards the end of the "interview" with the officer, with hands perspiring badly and my heart racing.   

First and formost, I have done nothing wrong.  I was the one who brought up taking a polygraph test because I figured I had nothing to hide.  I'm quite scared now.

Dear Staying Anonymous for now,

You need to cancel any lie detector test that you have scheduled without delay. Do it now.

You will gain absolutely nothing from agreeing to be polygraphed. You said yourself that the officer who interrogated you is already convinced of your guilt. The polygraph cannot detect lies: its sole utility is as a psychological billyclub to elicit admissions from naive and gullible suspects. You can expect that if you do go in for a lie detector test, the whole procedure from beginning to end will be nothing more than an effort to get you to confess to the crime of which you have been accused.

Refusing to submit to trial-by-polygraph is in no way, shape, or form an admission of guilt. Polygraphy is a scientific fraud, and refusal to submit to it only shows that you've got good sense.

You need a good defense lawyer to represent you. And if any lawyer with whom you seek a consultation recommends to you that you submit to a lie detector test, don't hire him.

I understand that you at first volunteered to take a lie detecter test because you were struggling to find a way to prove your innocence. But the polygraph can do no such thing. If you feel the need to explain to the Sheriff's Office why you have decided to refuse to submit to a polygraph "test," you can explain that you've discovered the truth about lie detectors.

Last modification: George Maschke - 02/26/01 at 11:23:01

It's good that you've got a lawyer now, and his counsel about the polygraph is sound. I wish you well as you go through what must be a very harrowing ordeal.

Last modification: George Maschke - 02/26/01 at 11:30:35