The polygraph is NOT a lie detector. Any respected polygraphist will tell you that the polygraph cannot tell if someone is telling a lie or not. No machine can. A polygraph can give an indication if you are being deceptive. It is by no means foolproof. I think they say the polygraph is something like 87% accurate. Along those lines my Magic 8 Ball is about 60% accurate. Fortunately, neither is allowed in court of law. As to Spike Moss's comment that police are trained to pass polygraph tests, I don't think that is one of the standards required by the POST board. A quick Internet search shows there are many "countermeasures" that can effect the accuracy of the polygraph. Something as simple as controlling your breath, or contracting your sphincter during the 'control' questions, or taking certain medications can effect accuracy. However, an experienced polygraph operator can detect these countermeasures. That said - Dave Knefelkamp, the guy who did at least one of the officer's polygraph tests, is a national expert. He has the experience to provide a reasonably accurate test. However, he's also a former law enforcement guy. Dare he cross the thin blue line? I think the only thing we know for sure, is that we don't know anything for sure. We can all make our own judgments based on the preponderance of the evidence, and our opinions of the police. From my experience, I know that the police can be dishonest. I put more trust in my Magic 8 Ball.
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