IMHO - if they want a copy give them a copy, esp since they have specifically said they don't want a forensic image.
However, If you are going to give a clone of the hard drive, MAKE SURE you zero the drive and verify it. Whether the drive is newly purchased, your old one or one given by the defense YOU need to personally zero it out and verify it before you put your clone on it. You do not want them to come back and say there was something on the drive and you can not find it on your image because it was remnants of the old drive.
Good Luck!
From reading all the posts, I guess it depends on the situation, setting and of course, the judge's order. Back a few years ago, Armresl visited me at the PD. We sat down, discussed what the plan was and it went smooth as silk. If I recall correctly he made an image of one or two drives with his gear and took copies of my images for one or two others. He verified all the images before he left. It was probably the smoothest visit from a defense examiner I ever had. He was definitely the friendliest and easiest to talk to about non-forensic stuff while we both sat there watching the acquisition clock count down.