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Vermont State Police Conduct Tests for Public Defenders and Assigned Counsel

NCJ Number
133638
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: (1990) Pages: 229-230
Author(s)
R L Haradon
Date Published
1990
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Since 1975, the Vermont State Police Polygraph Unit has been conducting polygraph tests for Public Defender's and Assigned Counsel cases at a rate of 30 to 70 tests per year.
Abstract
The agreement signed between the examiner, counsel, and defendant places the examiner, a State Police officer, in the position of acting as an agent for counsel rather than law enforcement. Despite this unusual position, the State Police has found the program to be beneficial. Because State Police officers conduct the polygraph tests, attorneys are assured of obtaining reliable and complete reports. The positive relationship built between the police and counsel has led to the early disposition of a number of cases, saving manhours that would have been expended had those cases proceeded to trial. However, there are also drawbacks to the program. The confidentiality of the tests presents an ethical problem for the examiners. In several cases, the attorney or investigator in the cases has hesitated to reveal all the known facts to the examiner. Overall, however, the Vermont program is judged to be very successful.

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