The South Dakota Supreme Court has upheld a circuit court’s decision to exclude polygraph test evidence in the sentencing of a manslaughter case.
The case involved Raymond Banks and Jahennessy Bryant, who were charged with killing a pizza delivery driver during a failed robbery attempt.
Both defendants offered conflicting accounts of the events, with each claiming to be the lookout while the other person fired the fatal shot.
Bryant entered a plea deal, testifying against Banks, who later pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
In an attempt to support his version of events and secure a reduced sentence, Banks provided polygraph test results, which the court refused to accept, citing concerns over the reliability of such evidence.
The South Dakota Supreme Court agreed with the lower court’s decision, emphasizing the issues surrounding the use of polygraph tests in legal proceedings.