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If Zimmerman took an independent polygraph test...

If George Zimmerman took a polygraph and passed, would you believe his story?

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 26.1%

  • No

    Votes: 8 34.8%

  • IDK/other

    Votes: 9 39.1%
  • Total voters
    23
J

joko104

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... would you believe what he told the police? This is NOT asking if you believe what he did was legal or right. Rather, only would you believe his story?
 
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joko104 said:
... would you believe what he told the police? This is NOT asking if you believe what he did was legal or right. Rather, only would you believe his story?
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Zimmerman...

Is he that guy down in Flordia who shot an unarmed person?

Mistakenly, or with ill intent, depending on whom you believe.



Polygraph's can be fooled.
 
The Mark said:
Zimmerman...

Is he that guy down in Flordia who shot an unarmed person?

Mistakenly, or with ill intent, depending on whom you believe.



Polygraph's can be fooled.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, only if you honestly believe you are telling the truth (and you aren't), or if you have enough conscious control of your autonomic responses to keep your cool while being tested.
 
lizzie said:
As far as I know, only if you honestly believe you are telling the truth (and you aren't), or if you have enough conscious control of your autonomic responses to keep your cool while being tested.
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Precisely.

Additionally, I understand that if the person being tested is in a constant state of emotional distress, or perhaps pain (which translates into emotional distress), they cannot be tested accurately (perhaps not at all?).
 
joko104 said:
... would you believe what he told the police? This is NOT asking if you believe what he did was legal or right. Rather, only would you believe his story?
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Likely not. Polygraphs are not admissible into court for a reason. I'll go off of actual evidence when it is presented.
 
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polygraph results would not hold up in a court of law,about the only thing a polygraph test is good for is testing stress levels for high stress jobs like joining the police or cia.

polygraph tests also tend to make innocent people look guilty and guilty people look innocent,it all just depends on how good they are at answering questions under stress.
 
Ikari said:
Likely not. Polygraphs are admissible into court for a reason. I'll go off of actual evidence when it is presented.
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You mean NOT admissible, right?
 
The Mark said:
Precisely.

Additionally, I understand that if the person being tested is in a constant state of emotional distress, or perhaps pain (which translates into emotional distress), they cannot be tested accurately (perhaps not at all?).
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It can still be tested. Polygraphs are administered with an extensive control period, not just a poly administrator asking 1 or 2 questions. You can't determine baselines in 10 seconds.

Polygraphs are reliable enough that they are admissible in court. I think the accuracy rating on them is somewhere around 97%.

Also, people who run around and say "I can beat the test" are, generally, full of it. Not to say that it's impossible, but for the average person to think that they can beat a machine and a trainer administrator is laughable.

I'm confident enough to say that I would believe someone who passed the test, unless they made an obvious, blatant lie.
 
lizzie said:
As far as I know, only if you honestly believe you are telling the truth (and you aren't), or if you have enough conscious control of your autonomic responses to keep your cool while being tested.
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You mean they can be fooled if you try to fool them? Who woulda thunk it!?!?!
 
joko104 said:
... would you believe what he told the police? This is NOT asking if you believe what he did was legal or right. Rather, only would you believe his story?
Click to expand...

Polygraphs don't work that way, it can help determine what someone beliefs but that's all. For example suppose you asked Zimmerman, did you murder Markus? He could answer no and it would register as a truth if he honestly actually believe he didn't murder him, however what he personally believes isn't the ultimate determinate of justice. A person can honestly believe he's done no wrong, or committed the crime someone asks him if he admits, but a justice can still find him guilty.

He's already admitted to killing the young man, so a polygraph won't tell you anything we don't already know which is "he killed him, but doesn't believe it was a crime."

And of course you have the fact that polygraphs aren't 100% accurate.
 
joko104 said:
... would you believe what he told the police? This is NOT asking if you believe what he did was legal or right. Rather, only would you believe his story?
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I could believe a broken nose and other injuries consistent with being attacked.
 
Wait, are people saying they're not admissible? I could've sworn that polygraphs have been used to exonerate people.
 
joko104 said:
... would you believe what he told the police? This is NOT asking if you believe what he did was legal or right. Rather, only would you believe his story?
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couple things

These tests arent accurate and can be beat
what would the questions be? they have to be yes/no questions from my understanding
lastly what does the impact of an unstable man have on it


Yes, im calling Zimmerman unstable. No matter the middle facts and ending facts which are still coming out. His current situation is still up in the air. But the starting facts and his history make him unstable and he a danger to civil society. :shrug:
 
joko104 said:
... would you believe what he told the police? This is NOT asking if you believe what he did was legal or right. Rather, only would you believe his story?
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I wouldn't trust a polygraph. Besides that I do not know which side to trust.There are two sides to this story.One side claims its a racist man shooting some poor innocent black kid and the law has failed. The other side claims its a man defending himself against a suspicious attacker and there is a witness to back it up. I can easily see the media blatantly misleading people to a cause like for example trying to discourage or tear down or weaken stand your ground laws and self defense laws.
 
Gipper said:
Wait, are people saying they're not admissible? I could've sworn that polygraphs have been used to exonerate people.
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I'm reasonably well-versed in exoneration, and I cannot recall an instance where a polygraph was used to help.
 
If the polygraph says he's telling the truth, I'd believe it.

Ever seen the show Judge Ross? Or Maury or Steve Wilkos?

They all use lie detectors.

Why exactly is this guy any different?
 
Wake said:
If the polygraph says he's telling the truth, I'd believe it.

Ever seen the show Judge Ross? Or Maury or Steve Wilkos?

They all use lie detectors.

Why exactly is this guy any different?
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Because those shows are entertainment where you don't even know if everything going on is real or not. If you pucker your asshole the right way and control your breathing you can pass a polygraph. You could just come out and say "I really wish this guy doesn't go to prison" which would at least, be honest.
 
Wake said:
If the polygraph says he's telling the truth, I'd believe it.

Ever seen the show Judge Ross? Or Maury or Steve Wilkos?

They all use lie detectors.

Why exactly is this guy any different?
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Were you taught logic at a bar or something? Maury and Joe Ross are TV shows. There is no such thing as a lie detector test. Actually, polygraphy is pretty much a pseudoscience.
 
lizzie said:
As far as I know, only if you honestly believe you are telling the truth (and you aren't), or if you have enough conscious control of your autonomic responses to keep your cool while being tested.
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Polygraphs CAN be fooled. When ATF agents were trying to infiltrate the Mongols MC, they were given polygraph tests by the club leaders. They all passed. They are trained to pass polygraphs. They just had to "get into character". They constrict their rectums when telling the truth and relax then when they are lying. It's fairly simple. Remember this if you ever need to take one.
 
Polygraphs, while only admissible in some courts if both sides agree before the test that results can be used, are useful investigative tools. I say "some courts" because not every court will allow them even under these circumstances. If either side disagrees, the results cannot be used. In most courts, even the mention of a polygraph examination is enough for a mistrial.

And I understand there's a reason for that. The results are not guaranteed. They can be beaten. Expert polygraph examiners, however, are watching for those tricks. If they see them, then those tricks alone tell the tale. Not only can they be consciously beaten, but one could be telling the truth and still fail.

However, having said that, a polygraph exam, combined with no witness testimony (or weak testimony) to contradict Zimmerman's story would be just one more piece of evidence that, if he passed, would indicate he was telling the truth.

Kind of a moot point, though. 'Cause I doubt seriously that his attorney would ever agree to let him take one.
 
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Mickey Shane said:
Polygraphs CAN be fooled. When ATF agents were trying to infiltrate the Mongols MC, they were given polygraph tests by the club leaders. They all passed. They are trained to pass polygraphs. They just had to "get into character". They constrict their rectums when telling the truth and relax then when they are lying. It's fairly simple. Remember this if you ever need to take one.
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That doesn't contradict what I said at all. If you can keep your autonomic nervous system responses controlled, you can pass a polygraph test while lying.
 
joko104 said:
... would you believe what he told the police? This is NOT asking if you believe what he did was legal or right. Rather, only would you believe his story?
Click to expand...

I would have to weight it with all other evidence. I don't see a polygraph as the definitive test.
 
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