Texas DPS Polygraph School Graduation Ceremony Showcases Law Enforcement’s Faith in the Pseudoscience of Polygraphy

On Friday, 12 March 2021, the Texas Department of Public Safety Polygraph School graduated its 29th class. In the midst of the most deadly pandemic to hit the United States in a century, and in defiance of current U.S. Center for Disease Control guidance and the city of Austin’s and Travis County’s mask mandates, participants … Read more

Wisconsin Court of Appeals Throws Out Post-Polygraph Confession on Grounds of Coercion

In a 19 May 2020 ruling, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals upheld the suppression of a post-polygraph confession in the child molestation case of Wisconsin v. Adam W. Vice (2018AP2220-CR). In 2016, Vice was accused of sexually molesting a four-year-old girl. Questioned by Washburn County Sheriff’s Department investigator William Fisher, Vice “denied any wrongdoing and … Read more

NCCA Interview & Interrogation Manual

The 1991 Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI) interrogation manual, Interview & Interrogation (PDF) is among the first documents published by AntiPolygraph.org nearly 20 years ago. Since then, DoDPI has undergone two name changes and is now called the “National Center for Credibility Assessment” (NCCA). AntiPolygraph.org has obtained and now made available the November 2013 … Read more

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Polygraph Chief John R. Schwartz on Interrogation

AntiPolygraph.org has received a copy of a presentation (1.4 mb PDF) on interrogation given by John R. Schwartz, who now heads the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Internal Affairs Credibility Assessment Division. In that capacity, Schwartz heads one of the federal government’s largest polygraph units, with some 71 polygraph examiners and a fiscal year 2012 … Read more

Byron Halsey Freed 22 Years After False Positive Polygraph Results, False Confession

In “Freed After 22 Years,” Jonathan Casiano and Mark Mueller of the Newark, New Jersey Star-Ledger report on the case of Byron Halsey, from whom it now appears police extracted a false confession to the molestation and brutal murder of two children after he wrongly failed a polygraph examination. DNA evidence exculpates Halsey and has … Read more

Polygraph Abuse Alleged in Oregon Murder Investigation

Nick Budnick reports for Willamette Week in an article titled, “True Lies? Polygraph Expert Questions Francke Investigation Tactics.” Excerpt: In three decades of giving so-called “lie detector” tests, you’d think Ken Simmons would have seen everything; but after reviewing a string of reports in the controversial Michael Francke murder case, he’s stunned. “I’ve done polygraphs … Read more

Coercion Alleged in Riverside County, CA Polygraph Interrogation

North County Times staff writer Tim Mayer reports in an article titled, “Fogelstrom said investigators deceived them” that the Riverside County (California) Sheriff’s Department conducted a coercive polygraph examination of a minor under false pretenses. Excerpt: CARLSBAD —- The father of the teenage companion of 17-year-old Eric Sears —- who was found dead in Joshua … Read more

“Polygraphs Don’t Give True Story”

Noah Schachtman reports for Wired News. Excerpt: The military may have ways — gruesome ways — of making people talk, as the Abu Ghraib prison scandal has shown. But it still doesn’t have a reliable method for figuring out whether those people are telling the truth or not. Nearly 75 years since the introduction of … Read more

Illinois Man, Innocent of Armed Robbery, Failed Lie Detector

Daily Herald Legal Affairs Writer Christy Gutowski reports on the case of Kevin Liszka in an article titled, “‘The perfect mark.’” Excerpt: As Kevin Liszka sat in a police department holding cell for three days, he remained confident authorities would realize they had the wrong man. Instead, police hauled Liszka off to the DuPage County … Read more

FBI Policy of Not Recording Polygraph Interrogations an Issue in Colorado Murder Case

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 … Read more