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Law

The Evidentiary Weight of Polygraph Test Results in Criminal Trials

Quick fact

In the United States, polygraph results are generally inadmissible in criminal trials unless both the prosecution and defense agree in advance (a stipulation), and even then, their reliability is heavily debated—scientific studies estimate accuracy ranges anywhere from 70% to 90%, far from perfect.

Why this is interesting

You've seen lie detectors on TV, but did you know that in most American courtrooms, the results of a polygraph test are almost never allowed as evidence? Why would such a dramatic tool be kept out of the justice system?