Should Polygraphs Be Used in Court?

It turns out that neither is true: Polygraph tests have questionable reliability and are generally not admissible as evidence in court, although they can be used in investigations and in applying to some federal employment positions.

Why don't they use polygraphs in court?

Because the results of a polygraph test can mean many things and are so unreliable in detecting actual lies, they do not rise to the level of reliability required for scientific evidence in a courtroom and polygraph test results are usually inadmissible as evidence.

Is polygraph evidence admissible in court?

Though evidence from a polygraph is inadmissible in court, the Act does not prohibit police from using such testing during their investigations.