Original reporting and commentary about polygraphs, voice stress analyzers, and other purported "lie detectors."
John Bresnahan reports for Roll Call. Excerpt: FBI agents began fanning out on Capitol Hill in recent weeks, questioning Senators serving on the Intelligence Committee as part of an unprecedented effort to find out who leaked classified information from the Congressional probe of intelligence failures prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. FBI officials are …
Brian Falk reports for the Old Colony Memorial of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Excerpt: PLYMOUTH (Aug. 1) – A Plymouth police officer is suing the town for making him take a lie detector test during an internal investigation of an allegation that he improperly touched two young boys. At the time, the district attorney had already conducted …
Tanya Giles reports in this article published by the Melbourne, Australia Herald Sun. Excerpt: SEX offenders would be forced to take regular lie detector tests after their release from prison under a plan to stop them re-offending. Police also would be given the power to use any information obtained from the hi-tech tests to launch …
Las Vegas Sun correspondent Mary Manning reports. Excerpt: Results of an independent lie detector test taken by Michael Hamdan, the man who said he intercepted a terrorist threat to Las Vegas on his cell phone, indicate he was telling the truth, he said. The alleged threat on June 15 focused on the July Fourth holiday …
J.J. Johnson of the Sierra Times reports. Excerpt: Las Vegas – As reported on June 26, the Federal Bureau of [I]nvestigation had threatened Henderson resident Michael Hamdan with arrest for giving false information related to a possible July 4th terrorist threat based on an FBI administered polygraph. Sierra Times has learned that Hamdan recently took …
Newsday staff correspondent Joshua Robin reports on the case of Angelo Martinez, who was wrongly convicted of murder. Excerpt: Buffalo — A Brooklyn man wrongly convicted of murder 17 years ago walked free yesterday into the arms of his mother, who said she never lost faith she’d see justice for her youngest son. Gloria Viruet, …
Chery Sabol reports for the Daily Inter Lake of Kalispell, Montana uncritically reports on “Computerized Voice Stress Analysis” (CVSA). Excerpt: It sounds metaphysical. Without ever laying eyes on you, detective Lance Norman of the [Flathead County] sheriff’s department believes he can tell if you are lying. Spoken answers reveal to him ‹ directly, on the …
Los Angeles Times staff writers Paul Richter and Greg Miller report in an article titled, “White House Moves to Tighten Loose Lips, Stop Leaks to Media.” Excerpt: WASHINGTON –The Bush administration, until now considered one of the most effective ever at controlling information, is suddenly struggling to plug leaks that threaten political embarrassment and, officials …
The Press of Atlantic City, New Jersey published the following letter by Mark Hollingsworth regarding Madelaine Vitale’s 14 July article, “What’s the truth about polygraphs.” Mr. Hollingsworth’s letter is cited here in full: Polygraphs aren’t so reliable Regarding the July 14 story, “What’s the truth about polygraphs?”: C’mon! An 85 percent to 95 percent success …
Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle staff writer Johnny Edwards reports. Excerpt: The Atlanta chapter of the Service Employees International Union, which covers state employees, is accusing the Department of Juvenile Justice of using polygraph tests to muzzle Augusta workers and possibly violating their First Amendment rights. Guards and nurses at the Augusta Youth Development Campus who have …