Original reporting and commentary about polygraphs, voice stress analyzers, and other purported "lie detectors."
Shannon Tan reports for the Indianapolis Star. Excerpt: MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — With just days to live, Joseph L. Trueblood asked Gov. Frank O’Bannon on Tuesday for a polygraph test to prove the Death Row inmate has been telling the truth. Trueblood insists his lawyers told him he would not face death when he pleaded …
The Sunday Times reports that “[the] admissibility of lie detector tests in criminal trials will be tested for the first time in a superior Australian court when an appeal against a 1994 murder conviction goes to the West Australian Supreme Court this week.”
Andrea Widener reports for the Contra Costa County Times. Excerpt: Last fall, a panel of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences found that polygraph tests are unproven, and perhaps even dangerous, as a tool to search for potential spies at the nation’s nuclear weapons labs. Its measures of heart rate, breathing and sweaty palms are …
Dr. Alan P. Zelicoff comments on polygraph screening in this Washington Post op-ed piece. Excerpt: In 1999, in the midst of alleged leaks of nuclear weapons information from his department’s national laboratories, the secretary of energy, Bill Richardson, set out to show that he could be “tough” on national security matters. He sought congressional funding …
The Daily Northwestern published the following letter by George Maschke in response to Sheila Burt’s 16 May 2003 article, “CIA recruiters more Moneypenny than Bond”: CIA recruiter Elizabeth was less than candid when she told Northwestern students that “those who tell the truth have nothing to worry about” regarding the polygraph. The National Academy of …
Frank Munger reports for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Excerpt: OAK RIDGE – It’s a real-life variation of the game truth or consequences. The Department of Energy figures the potential consequences of a security breach in the nuclear weapons program are so grave that extraordinary precautions must be taken. That includes truth testing for key employees. Despite …
Sheila Burt reports for the Daily Northwestern on the campus visit of two CIA recruiters, Marcus and Elizabeth, in an article titled, “CIA recruiters more Moneypenny than Bond.” Excerpt: …applicants must go through a rather extensive interview process before becoming official CIA agents. The process includes a background check, a lie detector test and a …
Chris Ingalls reports for KING5.com. Excerpt: SEATTLE – The polygraph promises to find the answer and that’s why it is widely used in Washington state to screen potential employees for high-security jobs. But there are new doubts about whether lie detectors really work. In today’s security-conscious environment, much of the tax money is used to …
U.S. Senate Bill 1025, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, envisages future research into alternative technologies to the polygraph. The relevant section of S. 1025 is cited in full here: SEC. 355. COORDINATION OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESEARCH ON SECURITY EVALUATIONS. (a) WORKSHOPS FOR COORDINATION OF RESEARCH- The National Science Foundation and the Office …
Denver Post reporter Nancy Lofholm reports in an article titled, “Blagg interrogation at issue.” Excerpt: GRAND JUNCTION – On the morning of Feb. 5, 2002, Michael Blagg failed a two-hour polygraph exam conducted by an FBI expert. Later that day, after more than 10 total hours of interrogation, Blagg allegedly broke down, sobbed, prayed and …