Saturday, April 20, 2024

Should You Take A Lie Detector Test?

July 19, 2014 by  
Filed under Legal Specials

Is the standard lie detector test (also known as the polygraph) reliable? Should you be concerned about taking a polygraph test? Let’s start with a true story.

The FBI gives agent applicants a lie detector test before hiring them. After 9/11, their polygraph failure rate went to 50%. Did liars suddenly start applying for jobs? No, but the testers were instructed to read the tests differently, even though this meant throwing out some honest people with the few dishonest ones. Imagine what this would do to your future. For all of their lives these mostly innocent people will have a record of a failed FBI polygraph following them.

Most scientists now agree that polygraph “testing” is junk science. In fact, John Larson, one of the pioneers of polygraphic lie detection, says “I’m sorry I ever had any part in it’s development.” The test is valued by governments and others because it is useful for getting damaging admissions from people, especially those who don’t know that the test is a sham.

Unfortunately, the lie detector test is actually biased against the truthful. This is because the more honestly one answers the “control” questions, the more likely one is to fail. Meanwhile, hardened criminals have proven again and again that they can lie throughout the test without detection.

<b>How Lie Detector Tests Work (Or Don’t)</b>

The basic idea is this: The polygrapher asks “control” questions in order to get your “baseline responses.” These are questions to which the operator knows or assumes the truthful answer. The device measures blood pressure, heart, breathing and perspiration rates. Then, when you are asked other questions (Are you involved in espionage? Did you take Johns watch?) your responses are compared to your baseline responses, to determine if your answer is honest or a lie.

An operator will tell you that you should answer all questions honestly, but they don’t actually want this to happen. In fact, they will often ask control questions that they assume you will answer with a lie. This could be something like “Have you ever lied when in trouble?” They may mention that someone who would do such a thing is not a good person, thus encouraging you to lie, so they can see your response.

Operators use this kind of trickery as a standard part of the testing procedure. They also have to use their own judgment. If they think you are dishonest, they may interpret the results differently. Even if they don’t do this, they may push harder to find questions that give the result they want. Whether this is conscious or not, it shows how unscientific the whole procedure can be.

Should you take the test? Consider what former CIA Director John M. Deutch had to say about it: “[The CIA’s] reliance on the polygraph is truly insane.” How about former CIA Director R. James Woolsey: “…the use of this highly flawed instrument should be radically curtailed.” You may want to reconsider any plans to take that lie detector test.

Considering other Legal Help Types

April 11, 2009 by  
Filed under Legal Specials, Legal Tips

Aside from laws regarding business audit, marriage, divorce, bankruptcy, etc., there are still other points wherein legal help matters. The nature of your problem can be attested by other kinds of legal help which are stated below.

1. Trade Unions
This should be able to provide you with a free and legal representation with different kinds of problems in which you are concerned with, and that doesn’t only cover issues related to work. Trade union representation that are free can be sought as a more suitable choice that the accepted Legal representation due to the fact that you don’t have to assert any kind of contribution, financially, to get legal aid from you chosen union.

2. Centers of Law
There are areas of the United States wherein law centers are entitled to give free legal aid or advice. These centers tend to specialize in different areas of specificity like employment, welfare benefit, housing, and immigration cases. A law center has the option to take in cases wherein legal aid is not entirely available although, these centers may also require a written statement or contract in order to provide the legal help expected of them.

3. Fixed Fee Interview
There are attorneys or solicitors that provide parts of legal advice only for a fixed or pre-agreed fee. However, there are schemes that tend to offer a fixed amount for free advice. This is beneficial to know if the case you have at hand is worth pursuing or defending in court or would it be just another burden where you can never win. What’s good about a fixed interview is that the scheme of equal fee is applicable for everyone whatever the inquiry may be or not considering the income that you have.

4. Organizations for motoring
Organizations that are built upon motoring can also provide cheap or even free legal advice or legal service only if you are recognized as a member of their organization.

5. Legal insurance
There are insurance companies that render policies wherein it covers the expenses of specific legal aspects like personal injuries, motoring offenses, consumer or client disputes, and problems regarding employment. More importantly, you have to carefully consider the policy that the company offers. There are policies that tend to exclude certain legal expenses and may not be able to meet the overall cost of the case.

There are organizations which tend to offer legal advise if you pay a price for subscription. There are credit cards or insurance policy agreements that you can run to when you have difficulties or concerns.

6. Agreements on conditional fees

In general, non-civil family cases are assured to enter in a conditional payment agreement with an attorney which means that if your side lost the case, you only have to pay the fee of the other party that may depend on the agreement of the expense. On the other hand, if you are able to win the case, you are bound to pay your attorney a higher amount than the agreed fee.

There are cases wherein you can make a specialized insurance policy that has the capacity to cover your cost, including legal help, if in case you lose. Before signing up for any kind of conditional agreement, you have to carefully consider the conditions of your agreement and make sure that you understand every statement incurred.

Getting Legal Help on Aspects about Business Audit

April 10, 2009 by  
Filed under Legal Specials

Every company can be on the verge of being in threat to business audit. If you have a company that is undergoing that kind of situation, then it is important that you get legal help which concerns the legal aspects of your auditing firm. It is of utmost importance that your business is showing high levels of performance permitted by law and ensuring that Internal Revenue Service is represented with proper auditing as well. You can set a couple of ways to get legal help, every aspect of which is important for searching aggressive and competent representation. There are only two things that you need: your own business attorney and the internet.

Audit is expected to be conducted within several days. The heavier the amount of paperwork that needs to be reviewed, the longer time it would take to finish audit. This typically takes no less than two days to complete. Requirements for a longer period of auditing is a factor that you should consider if you are getting a legal aid.

After considering the factors, you now have to hire a staff attorney for the facilitation of your business. If you have a lawyer that is dedicated on your side and is considered as a vital member of your company, then you are to expect a reasonable and the best effort more than what money can hire. As the company’s lawyer, he is tasked to give more intimate information regarding the status of your company’s transactions and therefore, he will be able to carry your case with a degree of greater familiarity.

If you have no permanent lawyer to back up your company’s claims, then it is now time to go online and find lawyer listings wherein the description states that the lawyer is a legal aid for audit of companies and any kind of business. You will find more than hundreds willing to render service just within your state or area.

In the business scene, you tend to know a lot of people and businessmen like yourself as well. You can speak to your colleagues and inquire about getting the appropriate legal aid. A business partner or a friend can give you sufficient details and ideas on the right kinds of decisions needed in choosing. Using the advice of people in business who have undergone audit, it would be possible that you get a good recommendation for a qualified counsel.

If you are still hesitant, you can check out specific websites regarding legal aid on business audit. Like in the yellow pages, there are tons of sites within the internet that can give you deviations and adequate information on the services that they offer. If you are lucky, you can find web resources that can give you total access regarding topics on tax and law, finding out the legal counsel based within your area. Some of the listings are accurate and precise enough to give out resources for small and big businesses and private citizens as well.

A bit of advice though, when you are to be audited, and you are planning to get legal help, you have to make sure that records even as old as ten years should still be available. The Internal Revenue Service gives a seven-year grace period for companies to inform about the audit that will be conducted although, keeping your records intact is one of the best tactics that you could assure your legal help lawyer will effectively look onto.

Legal Help – Lawyers

April 10, 2009 by  
Filed under General, Legal Specials

What do you think it feels like when the authorities serve you an arrest warrant because you’re being sued? Most individuals in this kind of situation often freak out and they don’t know what to do. You have to calm yourself if you’re in this situation and contact a personal lawyer at once. Lawyers can provide individuals with the needed legal services to overcome legal matters without any trouble or problems. If you’re already engulfed in a difficult and troublesome legal matter, let your attorney handle everything for you.

So where can you find the best attorney in town? Well, you could start searching the directory because the attorneys and lawyers and their specializations are listed there. Lawyers specialize in different issues such as consumer protection, child custody, registration, divorce, etc; you have to make sure that you hire the appropriate lawyer or attorney so that you can arrange and settle any legal matter immediately.

There are times when you have a close ‘law interaction’ and as a law-abiding citizen, you should follow everything that the law states. Some people get sacked or sued with no clear reason and if this is the case, you can hire a good lawyer to help you out. By simply surfing the internet, you can access the lawyer directories. There you can find a complete list of lawyers and their specializations. In no time at all, you will get the needed legal help from an authentic lawyer.

You have to ensure that you’re dealing with only a true lawyer. A true lawyer is equipped with the legal knowledge and theories in order to solve any legal dispute. The lawyer should advance your interests but in return, you have to pay for their services which can be rather expensive.

Simple situations like parking summons and registrations can be handled without legal help from lawyers. You can just rely on legal self help services to cut down your expenses. However, complicated situations require you to get the needed help from qualified, licensed, and experienced lawyers.

Suppose you’re in jeopardy and you want to handle the legal issues immediately. Without enough knowledge, you will find it hard to deal with all the legal matters. Check out the lawyer directories now especially if you’re in a dilemma. Try to look into the specialized directories so that you can easily find the appropriate lawyer for your case or problem. It’s quite easy to contact the lawyer once you find the right one. The contact information is already provided in the directory. Once you’ve contacted the lawyer, you can discuss about the legal issues you’re currently facing.

You can also ask your friends and relatives for referrals especially if they hired lawyer services in the past. Who knows, perhaps you can find the best lawyer in your area. Try not to rush your search so that you can compare different lawyers and their past performances. After doing some comparisons, you can make the right decision. Don’t forget to prepare a budget for the lawyer’s fees and other charges. Everything should be prepared so that the legal matters will be handled efficiently and smoothly.

Never hesitate to seek legal help from experienced and qualified lawyers. They are your ticket to a worry free life. Now, you can again sleep soundly at night because you have your trustworthy lawyer to handle all the legal issues.

Legal Help and Domestic Violence

April 10, 2009 by  
Filed under Legal Specials

Did you know that many people suffer from domestic violence? Survivors of domestic violence often complain about essential hypertension, migraines, insomnia, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, excessive fatigue, and many others. If you’re a victim of domestic violence, you need to seek legal help at once.

The body is designed to react with threats coming from the surroundings. You can either fight against the threat or you shy away from it. Individuals react differently when they are threatened and if you’re a victim of domestic violence, you can seek the proper legal help so that you will know what to do.

If you don’t face this problem, you will end up with the conditions mentioned earlier and you will be under chronic stress. This is not an ideal situation and by opening yourself to professional and expert legal help, you will know what to do.

Firstly, you need to report your situation to the concerned agencies; that way, you will receive appropriate assistance. Lots of individuals don’t want to report their situation because they are scared but if you’re one of them, you should not have second thoughts in fighting against domestic violence.

You can start searching through the list of lawyers in the directory. Just ensure that you’re looking in the right list. You see, lawyers have different specializations. In your case, you have to look for a lawyer that specializes in domestic violence. If you can’t afford to hire a personal lawyer, you can check with charitable organizations in your local area that can help you in locating pro bono attorneys or lawyers. When you say pro bono, the services of the lawyers are given for free. The charitable organizations can help you with your case. Once you have a pro bono lawyer, you and your lawyer can now start handling the domestic violence case.

You need to provide all the required details related to the case to your lawyer. Don’t try to hide even the smallest detail because this can affect the case in the future. You and your lawyer should trust each other. You should be honest at all times. Once you’ve developed trust for your lawyer, you will be more comfortable in his or her presence. The lawyer can also give you some advice or may be able to refer you to some counseling services.

You see, victims of domestic violence can be terribly affected especially their personal lives. Some victims find it hard to recover from the pains and hurtful memories of domestic violence. Through counseling services, the victims can adjust to their new life and learn to move on. After some time, they will be able to live normal lives again without having any feelings of insecurity, anxiety, or depression.

Domestic violence is not new especially in today’s modern times. Victims are encouraged to speak out and seek the necessary legal help. Whether you’re rich or poor, you should not hesitate to seek legal help if you’re a victim of domestic violence. Let the person responsible for your sufferings pay for everything. You can get your personal lawyer or you can ask help from charitable organizations to provide you with a pro bono lawyer.

This is your ticket to start a new life. Be strong and don’t loose hope. You’re not alone in the battle and with the right legal assistance, you can make it through.

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