Washington Post staff writer Amy Shipley reports. Excerpt:
Marion Jones passed a lie detector test in which she was asked if she had ever taken performance-enhancing drugs, her attorneys announced yesterday in another public attempt to persuade the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to drop its case against the five-time Olympic medal winner.
In a test administered by certified polygraph examiner Ronald R. Homer in her attorney Joseph Burton’s San Francisco office Wednesday, Jones was determined to have truthfully answered two questions in which she denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs, Burton said during a conference call.
“The passing of the polygraph supports fully the position Marion has taken all this time, that she never, ever has used performance-enhancing drugs from anybody at any time,” Burton said. “This matter should be over if there really is any fairness in the process.”
Burton distributed a letter from Homer in which Homer stated “it is my professional opinion that Ms. Jones was truthful when answering.” Homer also stated that another certified polygraph examiner conducted a blind analysis and rendered the same opinion.
Jones responded no when asked if she had ever personally used performance-enhancing drugs, and if she was lying about any personal use of performance-enhancing drugs.
In a statement, USADA said “we have repeatedly said that anyone who possesses what they believe to be reliable information, related to drug use in sports, should send us that information. All credible information will receive the appropriate consideration.”
Unfortunately for Ms. Jones, polygraph “test” results provide no reliable or credible information regarding a person’s truthfulness. Polygraphic lie detection has no scientific basis, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency should attach no evidentiary value to it.