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State v. Dorsey
Citations: 539 P.2d 204; 88 N.M. 184Docket: 10361
Court: New Mexico Supreme Court; July 31, 1975; New Mexico; State Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Mexico affirmed the Court of Appeals' decision to reverse the district court's judgment and sentence against Sammy T. Dorsey, ordering a new trial. The Court of Appeals had previously ruled that the admissibility of polygraph test results was improperly governed by earlier decisions that required specific conditions for admissibility. The Supreme Court overruled those prior decisions, particularly the requirement that both parties must stipulate to polygraph tests and that no objection could be raised at trial. The Court reasoned that these requirements were mechanistic, inconsistent with due process, and incompatible with the aims of the New Mexico Rules of Evidence, which seek to ensure fairness and ascertain truth in legal proceedings. The findings of the district court regarding the qualifications of the polygraph operator and the reliability of the testing procedure were accepted, but the Supreme Court focused on the validity of the stipulation and objection requirements, ultimately declaring them unnecessary for the admission of polygraph results. The ruling is significant in changing the approach to evidence concerning polygraph tests in New Mexico.