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United States v. Scheffer

Significance, Airman Scheffer Claims "innocent Ingestion", A Question Of Legitimate Interests, "a Serious Undervaluation" Of Constitutional Rights



Petitioner

United States

Respondent

Edward Scheffer

Petitioner's Claim

That per se exclusion of polygraph evidence offered by the accused in a military court does not violate the Sixth Amendment right to present a defense.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner

Michael D. Dreeben

Chief Lawyer for Respondent

Kim L. Sheffield

Justices for the Court

Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony M. Kennedy, Sandra Day O'Connor, William H. Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia, David H. Souter, Clarence Thomas (writing for the Court)

Justices Dissenting

John Paul Stevens

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

31 March 1998

Decision

That Military Rule of Evidence 707, which makes polygraph evidence inadmissible in court-martial proceedings, does not unconstitutionally abridge the right of accused members of the military to present a defense.

Related Cases

  • Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (1923).
  • Washington v. Texas, 388 U.S. 14 (1967).
  • Chambers v. Mississippi, 410 U.S. 284 (1973).
  • Rock v. Arkansas, 483 U.S. 44 (1987).
  • Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993).

Additional topics

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