Wednesday, April 1, 1998 | 10:25 a.m.
The court's ruling reversed a military court of appeal's decision that said an airman should not have been automatically barred from using a lie-detector test during his court-martial. In 1992, Edward G. Scheffer was charged with writing bad checks, using methamphetamine and being absent without leave. A urine test showed he tested positive for methamphetamine use, but a lie-detector test indicated he answered truthfully in denying he used drugs. Scheffer wanted to use the lie-detector results, but a military rule prohibited any references to lie-detector tests in criminal trials.
The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that a ban did not violate Scheffer's constitutional rights, noting there is no consensus in the scientific community as to whether polygraph evidence is reliable. The decision may have an impact for civilian courts also. The Associated Press reports that while they didn't reject completely the assertion that defendants may have a constitutional right to have lie-detector evidence admitted at trial, the justices seem willing to let state and federal courts maintain their bans on polygraphs.
Polygraph tests can't tell whether someone is telling the truth; they're better as barometers for gauging nervousness. As has been suggested before, polygraph tests are best known for making liars out of honest people and honest people out of liars. Courts are to determine facts, not engage in 20th century witchcraft.
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