Nixon Wanted Polygraph for “Deep Throat” W. Mark Felt

In an article titled, “President Called Felt a ‘Traitor’ in ’73,” William Neikirk and Mike Dorning report for the Chicago Tribune that White House tapes reveal that former President Richard M. Nixon wanted to force W. Mark Felt to take a lie detector “test.” Excerpt: WASHINGTON — Nearly 15 months before his 1974 resignation, President … Read more

“Do Lie Detectors Lie?”

Former FBI agent Clint Van Zandt comments for MSNBC. Excerpt: … A polygraph does not really separate truth from lies; or the honest from the liar. It simply provides information concerning any change in physiological response in areas such as respiration, heartbeat and blood pressure, this while the person being tested undergoes questioning. As a … Read more

“Interrogation Machine’s Maker Settles Crowe Suit”

San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Onell R. Soto reports. (The National Institute for Truth Verification, which markets the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer (CVSA), had earlier admitted in court that their device is not capable of lie detection, but continues to suggest otherwise on its website): The maker of a machine police used while interrogating the … Read more

UK: “Lie-Detector Tests for Sex Offenders”

The Telegraph reports. Excerpt: Sex offenders will face compulsory lie-detector tests, the Government has announced. Ministers want to use polygraph tests on sex offenders who have been released from jail on licence. The move will ensure they are telling the truth about their behaviour, such as obeying bail conditions to keep away from schools and … Read more

Taiwan: “All Intelligence Officials Soon to Face Lie Detectors”

Rich Chang reports for the Taipei Times. Excerpt: All intelligence officials will be subjected to polygraph tests in future in a bid to root out spies, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced yesterday. Legislators said they support the ministry’s policy, but that they hoped the ministry would take human rights into consideration when implementing … Read more

“[St. Louis] Area Police Agencies Use Voice ‘Lie Detector'”

Eric Hand reports for the Saint Louis Post Dispatch: The urban legend goes like this: Police wire the gullible crook up to a copy machine, put a colander on his head and say the contraption is a lie detector. Intimidated, the crook confesses. Police say the latest lie-detecting gizmo – one that looks for vocal … Read more

Duluth, Georgia Police Chief Wrong on Polygraph Videotaping

Acting on his lawyer’s advice, John Mason, whose fiancee Jennifer Carol Wilbanks went missing on Tuesday, 26 April, agreed to submit to a police-administered polygraph examination on the condition that it 1) take place in a “neutral” location and 2) be videotaped. While Duluth police reportedly can agree to the first condition, Police Chief Randy … Read more

“Police Turn to Polygraphs”

Maggie Shepard reports for the Albuquerque Tribune: Anyone who wants to work in the Metropolitan Forensic Center evidence room will have to take a polygraph test, Albuquerque’s police chief said. With an investigation having determined that $58,000 went missing from the evidence lockup, the Albuquerque Police Department is trying to minimize the chance that anyone … Read more