24th Century Lie detector Test

[All Seeing Eye]

I was wondering if the judicial system in the 24th century utilised a lie detector test? seems to me that by this time all they need do is point a tricorder at someone and know if they're lieing or not. Take Garak for example, he constantly lied, all Bashir had to do was point a tricorder at him and see if his heart rate went up and if his sweat glands started leaking .

Also what about the Cardassians, they seemed to just torture people to make sure they told the truth, why not ask them questions and stick a tricorder at them to see if they lieing or not.

What about Odo, when questioning Quark instead of just saying 'you're probably lieing but you're going to get away with it because I cant prove it' why not take him to a cell, stick a tricorder at him and ask him questions till he gives the truth.

 

[Crewman47]

They probably more than likely use Telepaths like Betazeds to do the job or if there were none available then I do think that they would have equipment capable of scanning brain wave patterns more clearer than todays technology to detect wheather or not someone is lying.

 

[StolenThunder]

The Drumhead (TNG) mentions an encephalographic polygraph scan, so I'm guessing some form of 'lie detector' exists.

 

[JM1776]

Considering that they employed a verifier scan in Kirk's time, I'd imagine 24th century methods are more refined and less intrusive.

Of course, one would have only to invoke the 2nd Guarantee to avoid being subject to either.

 

[Blueicus]

Considering that telepaths can say whatever they want when they're probing subjects I doubt they can be used as evidence in a court of law... unless you have an infinite regression of telepaths confirming the telepath they're scanning.

 

[JM1776]

Couldn't attorneys argue that telepathic scans are, in some measure, unlawful search and seizure?

 

[Crewman47]

Well they do use Telepaths for Judicial purposes in Babylon 5, (Psycorp) iirc it's one of their main tasks so why couldn't the Federation do the same thing, "employ" telepaths for judicial roles.

 

[ladyheather69]

Well, obviously for some things the Federation thinks it is okay to use telepaths and empaths. I mean we have Troi for one thing. she used to help(ok...was a plot point :)Picard figure out if an alien species was lying or at least hiding something. And in "The Drumhead" the "prosecutor" guy was a Betazed.

 

[JM1776]

Perhaps the difference between intrusive telepathy and evaluation of projected emotions and thoughts is applicable here.

 

[EnsignRicky]

Well, in the case of the Cardassians; What fun would a tricorder be?

 

[Timo]

Indeed. Poor Garak would be out of a job, both as interrogator and as secret agent.

Couldn't attorneys argue that telepathic scans are, in some measure, unlawful search and seizure?

Why would such an argument be allowed to proceed? All search and seizure violates the privacy and freedom of the individual, but we accept it when there is reason to suspect the individual of wrongdoing. If somebody is dragged all the way to the courtroom, presumed guilty, then verification of whether he's saying true or false things would seem a fairly light intrusion in comparison with rummaging through his closets or interviewing his wife and kids.

We've seen some limits to Vulcan and Betazoid telepathy, though: a well-trained individual can resist scans like Dukat did in "Maquis", or even possibly create false impressions. A Ferengi or a Breen could not be telepathically interrogated by a Betazoid at all. So it makes some sense that all court procedures have not been altered to rest solely on telepathic evidence, just like not everything today rests on forensic evidence despite technological advances made in that field.

Still, one would expect a lie detector to be part of every witness stand, at least in military court, just as it seemed to be standard procedure in Kirk's time. But even the best detectors would have their own limitations, as a person might actually believe in falsehoods, or differ so much from baseline (especially in the multispecies, cross-species Federation) that the instrument would show nothing but false negatives. And the efficacy of even a perfect lie detector depends on the prosecution and defense asking the right questions.

Perhaps we could say that every court of justice in the 23rd and 24th centuries indeed has a lie detector operational all the time (but it's completely unobtrusive and aesthetically pleasing in the 24th). It's not as if anybody has actually been caught from a lie in a Star Trek court drama, after all.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[THE_FETT]

I tend to think that you could point a tricorder at Garak when he's telling the most outlandish lie, and the tricorder would reveal that he's telling the truth. "All readings are normal. Blood pressure is normal. I guess he actually did eat the Sun for breakfast and then put the moon in his pocket."

But, actually, they don't need tricorders or telepaths. All they need is to administer truth serum as Spock talked about in The Man Trap.

 

[sbk1234]

Considering that they employed a verifier scan in Kirk's time, I'd imagine 24th century methods are more refined and less intrusive.

Of course, one would have only to invoke the 2nd Guarantee to avoid being subject to either.

Is that what they used on Harry Mudd in Mudd's Women? If so, you beat me to my answer. If not, what about Mudd's Women when the computer was able to say that Harry wasn't telling the truth?

Not the same thing, but Geordi also said that he could always tell when a human wasn't telling the truth. Just the guy I'd want to play poker with!

 

[JM1776]

Actually, they use the verifier scan in "Wolf in the Fold." I believe, in "Mudd's Women," it's simply the computer comparing Harcourt's testimony with the available record, and pointing out the inconsistencies when appropriate.

 

[JM1776]

I tend to think that you could point a tricorder at Garak when he's telling the most outlandish lie, and the tricorder would reveal that he's telling the truth. "All readings are normal. Blood pressure is normal. I guess he actually did eat the Sun for breakfast and then put the moon in his pocket."

I completely agree with that.

But, actually, they don't need tricorders or telepaths. All they need is to administer truth serum as Spock talked about in "The Man Trap."

In "Journey to Babel," the Orion agent "Thelev" is subjected to both verifier scan and truth serum. Spock tells Andorian ambassador Shras that "he reveals nothing." Evidently it, too, is quite beatable.