I've been asked to take a polygraph by a detective. Should I? I requested a court appointed attorney but I was told I could not have one until I'm indicted and my case goes to court.

Any statement you make to the police can be used against you in court. Many people think if they can only tell the police their side of the story, the police will see it their way. That rarely happens. If you are a suspect in a crime, you should immediately seek out experienced legal counsel. If you can't afford one, you should wait until you are charged and a lawyer is appointed for you. Law enforcement does not use polygraphs (lie detector tests) merely to determine if you are telling the truth. The testing is preceded by an interview. The interview questions are designed to elicit incriminating information from you. There is no reason you need to assist them. In addition, polygraph results are generally inadmissible because they are not considered reliable. Even if you were to pass, there's no guarantee you won't be charged, or that once charged, you will be able to introduce the results in court. In short, if police view you as a suspect in a crime, there is no good reason to take a polygraph or submit to a police interview before being advised by counsel whether it will serve your interests.