Once called "the strip searches of the mind", polygraph test creators maintain that their lie detectors can detect when a suspect is lying in 80-95% of cases. Should we use them in the justice system to secure convictions? Or are polygraphs a dangerous and gross violation of a suspect's legal rights?
Yes, polygraphs should be allowed in court
Lie detectors are helpful in determining the truthfulness of a subject. Technology should be used to aid in our search for truth.
Polygraphs are already used in other aspects of law
Polygraph tests have been successfully implemented in other parts of the legal process.
The test itself is not as important as its ability to induce a confession. Making them admissible in court would put increased pressure on a guilty suspect to provide a full confession.
In several different experiments, people of color were overrepresented as failing the test when they were innocent. This means that allowing polygraphs to be admissible in court introduces another mode for racial bias into the justice system. Even worse, since results from lie detectors are presented as objective scientific findings, this bias is given legitimacy.
