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Brown County Commissioners Tuesday denied a request from Sheriff Ervin Weinkauf for the county to pay for an attorney for the Sheriff's appeal of a board decision on purchase of a polygraph and fireproof blankets.
The sheriff has appealed to district court the board's refusal to grant him permission to buy these items for his office.
Commissioners suggested tabling the decision until Nov. 6 when the county attorney would be present to advise them, but Sheriff Weinkauf said he needed an answer right away because the court had asked him if he had a lawyer.
The board decision came after a brief rehashing of the polygraph matter. The sheriff had asked Oct. 2 for permission to buy the $1,550 machine.
Commissioner Denis Warta said polygraph service was available free from the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
"It's a luxury for us to have another machine like that, and the results aren't admissible in court," Warta said.
The sheriff said it cost money to take a suspect to the Twin Cities to use the BCA polygraph and Warta said the BCA would come down to New Ulm if requested. The sheriff said he'd never been offered that service by the BCA.
Sheriff Weinkauf said the usefulness of a polygraph or lie detector is not as evidence in court. He said taking a lie detector test was strictly voluntary but "if a guy refuses to take it he's answered your question."
The board vote was unanimous to deny the request for the county to pay for the sheriff's attorney for the appeal.
New Ulm Daily Journal,
Oct. 31, 1973