Reader Ad Slot
Reader Ad Slot placeholder
If you would like to support SpookStack without paying out of pocket, please consider allowing advertising cookies. It helps cover hosting costs and keeps the archive free to browse. You can change this choice at any time.
Dr Samuel Sheppard — Part 2
Page 19
19 / 30
at ot Ase
Ae PL
a“
4
'
Sheppard v; Maxwell No. 16077
myself and we will take this lie detector test, and at
Jeast you will eliminate yourself in one way?”
“Q. Now, did you state to him as to where this test
would be made? a
“A. I said anywhere, regardless of where it might be,
I would take him wherever he wanted to go.
“Q. And what did he say to that?
“Mr. Petersilge: Objection, your Honor. Now, the -
prosecutor keeps asking about whether Dr. Sheppard
was willing to take a lie test, a lie detector test, and
the Court of Appeals of this county has held that the
results of a lie detector test are not admissible in
evidence. It follows from that that it makes no dif-
ference whether Dr, Sheppard said iat he would
take the test or whether he refused to take the test.
“The Court: Well, he has answered the question. The
Court will instruct the jury on the matter.
“Mr. Petersilge: Exception.
“Q. What did he say?
“A. He says, ‘No,’ he says, ‘T’ll be guided by the
advice of my family and my attorneys.’
“The Court: Mr. Parrino, the Court would like to say
a word to the jury now. Ladies and gentlemen of the
jury, you are not to understand by these questions
that any person is obligated to take any lie detector
test. A person has his own choice. He is under no
obligation whatever to take it. All right.
* + * * *
“Mr. Petersilge: Just a moment. If the Court please,
we request the Court also to advise the jury that he
not only has an option whether he will take it or not,
but that the results of that test are not admissible in
evidence.
“The~Court: Well, they are not here, anyway, Mr.
Petersilge.
“Mr. Mahon: We haven’t any results here.
“The Court: They are not here.
“Mr. Mahon: We are not offering any results,
(Peat | Ree CARRE ss rp) Alig
i Beg Tt oer tl { ‘ “"
‘aapaan ee siefhes t . - afl
No. 16077
“Mr. Petersilge: That’s right, but the reason should
also be stated to the jury.
“ : I know, but we need not go beyond what
we ba evidence. The evidence is here that he
was asked to take it, he refused. Now, the Court tells
the jury that he doesn’t have to take it, period. We
will stop right there. -
“Q. Was there any further conversation there on the
12th? :
“A, I said, ‘Will you give me an answer on that in the
very near future?’ He says, ‘T’ll act only upon the
advice of my family and my attorneys. .
Sheppard v. Maxwell 37
The statement, Exhibit 48, was Sheppard’s voluntary
exculpatory statement and his answers to the officer’s sug-
gestion of a lie detector test were given voluntarily in the
presence of his attorneys. Despite the above objection,
Dr. Sheppard when testifying in his own behalf on direct
examination by his counsel, told about the first request
that he submit to a lie detector test and stated that he
. told the officers he would be willing to submit to such exam-
ination “if it was a reliable test.” The subject was alluded
to by the prosecution and the defense in the closing argu-
ments, again without objection. oo ;
Neither the District Judge nor counsel point to any deci-
sions ruling unconstitutional the admission of. testimony
that a criminal defendant has refused to submit to a lie
detector test. Authority for any such ruling must, we
believe, be found in radiations from the Hifth jtmendment,
newly made applicable to state court proceedings by the
deciston in Malloy v. Hogan, 378 U.S. 1 (1964). Cf. United
States ex rel. Shott v. Tehan, 387 F (2) 990 (CA 6, 1964) ;
Schiers v. California, 333 F(2) 178, 176-77 ( CA 9, 1964) ;
Helton v. United States, 221 F(2) 888, 841 (CA 5, 1955) ;
Mezzatesta v. Anderson, 227 F. Supp. 267, 271 (D. Del.
1964). For this reason, we believe it appropriate to note
also that defense counsel questioned Dr. Sheppard on his
failure to invoke the privilege against self-incrimination
at the coroner’s inquest, and mentioned this failure in
both opening and closing arguments to the jury.
The conduct of defense counsel regarding lie detector
testimony has been discussed at length because we believe
it spares us the need of determining the precise constitu-
Community corrections
No user corrections yet.
Comments
No comments on this document yet.
Bottom Reader Ad Slot
Bottom Reader Ad Slot placeholder
If you would like to support SpookStack without paying out of pocket, please consider allowing advertising cookies. It helps cover hosting costs and keeps the archive free to browse. You can change this choice at any time.
Continue Exploring
Agency Collection
Explore This Archive Cluster
Broad Topic Hub
Topic Hub
Related subtopics
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic