Original reporting and commentary about polygraphs, voice stress analyzers, and other purported "lie detectors."
John Espenschied writes for Computerworld in “Beyond Polygraph Testing (The DOE Goes Over a Cliff)” (17 June 2007), criticizing the Energy Department’s move to embrace random polygraph screening and suggesting more meaningful alternatives for enhancing security. Excerpt: June 17, 2007 (Computerworld) — The National Academy of Sciences conducted an analysis of the Department of Energy’s …
The Youngstown, Ohio Vindicator on Sunday, 17 June 2007, published a series of four articles concerning the upcoming polygraph examination of former youth pastor Darryl Adams, who stands accused of raping a minor. (See previous Vindicator report here.) In a devil’s bargain that revives in modern disguise the medieval trial by ordeal, Mahoning County assistant …
In an editorial titled, “Defiant One,” the Akron Beacon Journal takes issue with Summit County, Ohio prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh’s decision to appeal Judge Judy Hunter’s order (252 kb PDF) admitting over objection polygraph evidence proffered by the defense in Ohio v. Sharma: Defiant one Prosecutor Walsh won’t listen to Judge Hunter, or to a …
James Paton reports for the Rocky Mountain News in “Legal officials say Broncos’ use of lie-detector test was ‘out of bounds’”: Denver attorney Colin Barnacle, a fervent Denver Broncos fan and season ticket holder, isn’t one to challenge Mike Shanahan. But when the coach of the beloved Broncos subjected one of his players to a …
Vindy.com of Youngstown reports in “Result of rape case to be decided by polygraph”: Rape charges will be dropped if the defendant passes the test. YOUNGSTOWN — A Boardman man charged with raping a Youngstown boy while he was between the ages of 14 and 16 will let a lie-detector test decide his fate. Under …
Denver Post staff writer Mike Chambers reports in “Shanahan: Kircus Won’t Be Booted”: A conviction for assault would not cause Broncos receiver David Kircus to be released from the team. Coach Mike Shanahan said today that Kircus passed a lie-detector test Friday morning and that as far as the team is concerned, it will outweigh …
Don Bohning reviews John Sullivan’s new book for the Miami Herald: NONFICTION CIA agent tells the truth about the polygraph An insider reveals much about the secretive agency and its controversies. BY DON BOHNING GATEKEEPER: Memoirs of a CIA Polygraph Examiner. John F. Sullivan. Potomac. 288 pages. $27.95. John Sullivan’s job was ferreting out liars. …
A post on the Gone Nuclear blog titled, “I Cannot Tell a Lie” has been devoted to documenting the experiences of those who have been through the Department of Energy’s polygraph screening program.
The Cleveland Law Library Weblog provides further information on Summit County judge Judith Hunter’s 15-page order [link fixed] (252 kb PDF) to allow polygraph evidence over the prosecutor’s objection in the rape trial of Sahil Sharma (State v. Sharma, Case No. 06-09-3248).
James Ewinger reports for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in “Judge OKs Lie Detector Tests in Sex Case”: With a Summit County judge’s decision to admit lie-detector evidence, a New York law student may end up setting legal precedent even before he takes a bar exam. Sahil Sharma, 26, is charged with a single count of …