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#1
Action Alerts and Announcements / Join Us This Saturday, May 9th...
Last post by Administrator - Today at 04:57 AMJoin us online this Saturday, May 9th, 2026 at 2 PM Eastern Time to discuss polygraph-related issues. No sign-up or registration is required. Just point your web browser to:
https://meet.jit.si/AntiPolygraph
https://meet.jit.si/AntiPolygraph
#2
Action Alerts and Announcements / Welcome to the New AntiPolygra...
Last post by Administrator - Today at 04:23 AMWe have migrated the message board from the previous YaBB forum software to Simple Machines Forum software.
Guest posting has been re-enabled, and all previous user bans have been removed.
Registered users should be able to log in using existing usernames and passwords.
Guest posting has been re-enabled, and all previous user bans have been removed.
Registered users should be able to log in using existing usernames and passwords.
#3
Action Alerts and Announcements / Re: Planned Migration to New F...
Last post by Administrator - Today at 12:53 AMMany thanks! We hope that you will be satisfied with the new forum software, which is similar to YaBB in numerous respects.
#4
Action Alerts and Announcements / Re: Planned Migration to New F...
Last post by Anonymous Deputy - May 03, 2026, 07:09 PMThis is my last forum of which I am a member that is on YaBB. I will miss it, since it was the predominant type when I first got on the internet at 10 years old in 2005. I of course understand the migration. Good luck! 
#5
Action Alerts and Announcements / Planned Migration to New Forum...
Last post by Administrator - Apr 29, 2026, 06:06 AMAfter some 25 years with YaBB, it is time to migrate this forum to more modern software, as YaBB is no longer under active development.
We're planning on switching to Simple Machines Forum, a free and open source message board platform that is in some ways descended from YaBB.
As we prepare for this transition, you may find this message board in "Maintenance Mode" from time to time. We regret any inconvenience.
We're planning on switching to Simple Machines Forum, a free and open source message board platform that is in some ways descended from YaBB.
As we prepare for this transition, you may find this message board in "Maintenance Mode" from time to time. We regret any inconvenience.
#6
Action Alerts and Announcements / "Discarded Posts" Category Dis...
Last post by Administrator - Apr 29, 2026, 05:58 AMThe "Discarded Posts" category of this forum, which showcased posts that blatantly violated our posting policy, has been removed.
#7
Polygraph Policy / FBI Polygraph Interrogation of...
Last post by George W. Maschke - Apr 22, 2026, 04:25 AMOn 6 November 2025, former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Shauni Kerkhoff was polygraphed by the FBI in connection with its investigation of the planting of bombs outside Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC on the night of 5-6 January 2021. Earlier that day, Kerkhoff, who was by then working on the security staff of the CIA, became a suspect after Blaze Media purported, in a now retracted report, to have identified her as a suspect through gait analysis.
Kerkhoff was soon exculpated in that investigation and has filed a lawsuit against Blaze Media and others. Her statement of claim, among other things, describes the FBI's search of her home and a polygraph examination to which she agreed.
Kerkhoff's complaint provides insight into what suspects in criminal investigations can expect when they agree to a polygraph "to clear everything up." The following is quoted from the statement of claim:
Ms. Kerkhoff's experience speaks to the invalidity of polygraphy and its abuse by law enforcement in criminal interrogations. I hope that the FBI polygraph operator who conducted this "test" will be named and shamed.
Kerkhoff's lawsuit against Blaze Media et al. is Case No. 1:26-cv-01078 in the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Kerkhoff was soon exculpated in that investigation and has filed a lawsuit against Blaze Media and others. Her statement of claim, among other things, describes the FBI's search of her home and a polygraph examination to which she agreed.
Kerkhoff's complaint provides insight into what suspects in criminal investigations can expect when they agree to a polygraph "to clear everything up." The following is quoted from the statement of claim:
QuoteDefendants' False Claims Subject Ms. Kerkhoff to a Grueling—and Unwarranted—Federal Investigation
129. Ms. Kerkhoff's life irrevocably changed on the morning of November 6, 2025, when her management called and asked that she come into work. Ms. Kerkhoff suspected the call stemmed from Defendants' November 4 Article, which falsely claimed that she had used excessive force on January 6.
130. Upon her arrival, Ms. Kerkhoff was asked to wait in an office. Then, at about 2:00 p.m., two FBI agents arrived. They told her that they were investigating "online chatter" that she was the pipe bomber.
131. The agents questioned Ms. Kerkhoff about her location and activities of the night of January 5, 2021. More than four years had passed, and she did not immediately recall. They requested Ms. Kerkhoff's consent to search her phone, car, and house. She consented to the phone and car searches. Ms. Kerkhoff did not, however, immediately consent to a house search. She told them it was her boyfriend's, Mr. Dickert's, house, and they would need his consent; he subsequently told them he would need to discuss it with Ms. Kerkhoff first. The agents told Ms. Kerkhoff to go home, and that they would meet her there. After this interview with the FBI, Ms. Kerkhoff learned she was being placed on administrative leave.
132. As Ms. Kerkhoff and Mr. Dickert were driving home, the agents called again, claiming they were stuck in traffic and would be late. They told Ms. Kerkhoff and Mr. Dickert that, when they got home, a few people would want to walk through their home. The agents claimed that they were primarily looking for shoes. (The bombing suspect had worn distinctive Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers.)
133. About a half-hour after Ms. Kerkhoff and Mr. Dickert arrived at home, a caravan of FBI vehicles descended on their street and parked outside their house. The FBI brought a bomb disposal truck and a helicopter, which hovered loudly overhead. Agents exited their vehicles with their guns drawn in full tactical gear. An agent called Mr. Dickert and commanded him to "come out of the house unarmed with your dogs." Mr. Dickert and Ms. Kerkhoff complied and stepped outside. Agents swept through the house, then reentered with bomb-sniffing dogs. They opened cabinets, rifled through drawers, and scattered Ms. Kerkhoff's and Mr. Dickert's belongings—all without obtaining Ms. Kerkhoff or Mr. Dickert's consent. It suddenly occurred to Ms. Kerkhoff that they were not simply looking for a pair of shoes.
134. The search at Ms. Kerkhoff and Mr. Dickert's home ended around 8:00 p.m. One of the agents introduced himself as a senior FBI official of the FBI's Washington, D.C. field office: a role that does not typically involve executing search warrants. Ms. Kerkhoff knew that his presence indicated that the FBI believed this was an extraordinarily sensitive case. She asked him why he would do all this to investigate "online chatter." The senior official responded that his orders came from "higher up," but that Ms. Kerkhoff could "clear everything up" that night if she would accompany agents to the FBI office for a polygraph interview. Ms. Kerkhoff agreed. Agents assured Ms. Kerkhoff that the drive out to their office would take longer than the interview itself.
135. That was not true. This interview, unlike the FBI's earlier questioning, was a grueling interrogation. Ms. Kerkhoff was linked to a polygraph machine. For approximately three hours, an interrogator treated Ms. Kerkhoff as if her guilt was presumed. Again and again, she directly accused Ms. Kerkhoff of planting the bombs, and again and again, Ms. Kerkhoff denied it. At one point, the interrogator changed out the breathing tubes used in the polygraph because she "did not like how they were reading"—indicating a flaw in the polygraph test or the interrogation method. She demanded that Ms. Kerkhoff describe in detail what she was doing the night of January 5, 2021, and Ms. Kerkhoff repeatedly explained that she did not remember. She threatened Ms. Kerkhoff that her security clearance hung in the balance if she did not answer truthfully. Ms. Kerkhoff responded repeatedly and truthfully: She did not plant pipe bombs in Washington, D.C. on January 5, 2021.
136. At one point, the interrogator represented to Ms. Kerkhoff that she had "failed" the polygraph test. Ms. Kerkhoff assumed this was an interrogation technique, because she knew she was telling the truth. Ms. Kerkhoff also knew that a person cannot "fail" a polygraph test, which merely measures physiological responses, and she was not surprised that she might have shown signs of stress given the exhausting day and intense interrogation she faced. But the interrogator put Ms. Kerkhoff in a catch-22, insisting Ms. Kerkhoff was, on one hand, showing signs of physiological stress, and on the other, appeared "very controlled." Ms. Kerkhoff continued the interrogation truthfully, just as she had before.
137. The American Psychological Association has confirmed what Ms. Kerkhoff understood to be the case: Polygraph tests do not test and cannot determine "deception."38 In fact, they have a "weak scientific basis" for testing deception; the polygraph method used by Ms. Kerkhoff's interrogator "rest[s] on a weak scientific foundation with indeterminate accuracy." At best, a polygraph may measure physiological responses, but those responses are not reliably indicative of whether a person is telling the truth or lying.
138. Eventually, Ms. Kerkhoff told the interrogator that she needed to call Mr. Dickert; he had expected her home within an hour. The interrogator demanded that she answer more questions first. Finally, after midnight, Ms. Kerkhoff told the interrogator that she was exhausted, and she asked whether she was free to leave. The interrogator said yes. Ms. Kerkhoff asked for her phone back, but agents told her they needed to keep it overnight. She drove home without it. Ms. Kerkhoff arrived home in the early-morning hours of November 7, 2025.
139. Later that morning, after repeated requests from Ms. Kerkhoff, the FBI finally returned her phone around 11:00 am. It was flooded with notifications—messages, emails, missed calls, and voicemails—from friends, family, and coworkers who had seen Ms. Kerkhoff's name and photo posted all over X following Defendants' November 5 Article, Podcasts, and posts discussing them. Ms. Kerkhoff realized this was the same "online chatter" FBI agents had told her they were investigating.
38 William Iacono & Gershon Ben-Shakhar, Current Status of Forensic Lie Detection with the Comparison Question Technique: An Update of the 2003 National Academy of Sciences Report on Polygraph Testing, 43 Law & Hum. Behav. 86 (2019), https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2018-49407-001.html.
Ms. Kerkhoff's experience speaks to the invalidity of polygraphy and its abuse by law enforcement in criminal interrogations. I hope that the FBI polygraph operator who conducted this "test" will be named and shamed.
Kerkhoff's lawsuit against Blaze Media et al. is Case No. 1:26-cv-01078 in the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
#8
Post-Conviction Polygraph Programs / Re: Texas Instant Offense Poly...
Last post by Anonymous Deputy - Apr 14, 2026, 07:44 AMHello Heather,
I'm sorry to hear about the difficult situation your friend is in. Polygraphs are notoriously unreliable, especially for someone on multiple medications that can affect results. Many people in similar positions have experienced the same issues: failed tests due to medical conditions or the test's inherent flaws, leading to probation violations that feel more like punishment for not "passing" a junk science tool than for any actual behavior.
Regarding your main question: Has anyone ever successfully filed a motion to remove polygraph tests from probation conditions in Texas, particularly for sex offense cases?
From what I've seen on this board and in related discussions: Some people have had limited success challenging polygraph conditions through their attorney, especially if they can document medical issues that interfere with the test (e.g., via psychiatrist/psychologist letters explaining how meds or mental health conditions can cause false positives or inconclusive results). In other words, if you have a detailed, articulated case with a detailed history, you could find success, but it's rare.
In Texas, probation conditions are set by the judge, so a motion to modify probation terms is the usual route. Arguments often focus on:
Practical steps I'd suggest for your friend: Get a new/stronger evaluation from a forensic psychologist or psychiatrist familiar with polygraph limitations and his specific diagnoses/medications. Have them write a detailed letter explaining why polygraphs are contraindicated in his case.
His lawyer should file a motion to modify the probation conditions to remove or replace the polygraph requirement (perhaps with other monitoring tools like regular therapy progress reports, GPS if relevant, or nothing if risk is low).
Document everything: every failed poly, every medication, every instance where the treatment provider refused to continue without a passed poly. This shows the catch-22.
Consider appealing the probation violation itself on due process grounds if the only "violation" was not attending due to the poly barrier.
If your friend (or you) can share more details about the exact probation conditions or what the lawyer has already tried, people here might have more targeted suggestions.
Take care,
Anonymous Deputy
Important disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer, I'm a cop, and this isn't legal advice. Texas sex offense probation is tough, and Johnson County might have specific practices. Your friend needs an experienced criminal defense or post-conviction attorney who knows Texas probation modification procedures and has dealt with sex offender supervision challenges.
I'm sorry to hear about the difficult situation your friend is in. Polygraphs are notoriously unreliable, especially for someone on multiple medications that can affect results. Many people in similar positions have experienced the same issues: failed tests due to medical conditions or the test's inherent flaws, leading to probation violations that feel more like punishment for not "passing" a junk science tool than for any actual behavior.
Regarding your main question: Has anyone ever successfully filed a motion to remove polygraph tests from probation conditions in Texas, particularly for sex offense cases?
From what I've seen on this board and in related discussions: Some people have had limited success challenging polygraph conditions through their attorney, especially if they can document medical issues that interfere with the test (e.g., via psychiatrist/psychologist letters explaining how meds or mental health conditions can cause false positives or inconclusive results). In other words, if you have a detailed, articulated case with a detailed history, you could find success, but it's rare.
In Texas, probation conditions are set by the judge, so a motion to modify probation terms is the usual route. Arguments often focus on:
- The unreliability of polygraphs (cite the National Academy of Sciences 2003 report or APA statements on their lack of scientific validity for this use)
- Medical/psychological contraindications making the test unfair or impossible to pass reliably
- The treatment provider kicking him out solely for failing the poly, framing it as the system creating a violation loop rather than addressing actual risk
Practical steps I'd suggest for your friend: Get a new/stronger evaluation from a forensic psychologist or psychiatrist familiar with polygraph limitations and his specific diagnoses/medications. Have them write a detailed letter explaining why polygraphs are contraindicated in his case.
His lawyer should file a motion to modify the probation conditions to remove or replace the polygraph requirement (perhaps with other monitoring tools like regular therapy progress reports, GPS if relevant, or nothing if risk is low).
Document everything: every failed poly, every medication, every instance where the treatment provider refused to continue without a passed poly. This shows the catch-22.
Consider appealing the probation violation itself on due process grounds if the only "violation" was not attending due to the poly barrier.
If your friend (or you) can share more details about the exact probation conditions or what the lawyer has already tried, people here might have more targeted suggestions.
Take care,
Anonymous Deputy
Important disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer, I'm a cop, and this isn't legal advice. Texas sex offense probation is tough, and Johnson County might have specific practices. Your friend needs an experienced criminal defense or post-conviction attorney who knows Texas probation modification procedures and has dealt with sex offender supervision challenges.
#9
Action Alerts and Announcements / David Graham to Speak on "The ...
Last post by George W. Maschke - Mar 31, 2026, 10:43 AMThe Lawrence Times reports that David Graham, whom some may know from our monthly online meetups, will be giving a talk titled "The Trouble with Polygraphs" at the Lawrence, Kansas public library tomorrow, 1 April 2026, from 7-8 PM:
Quotehttps://lawrencekstimes.com/2026/03/30/dgco-bail-fund-polygraphs-pre/
Douglas County bail fund to host event on 'the trouble with polygraphs'
by Mackenzie Clark
The Douglas County Community Bail Fund will soon host a talk on the "history, application, and pitfalls of the use of polygraphs in our legal system," according to organizers.
The event, "The trouble with polygraphs," is set for 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 1 in Meeting Room C at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St.
David Graham, criminal defense and constitutional rights attorney, will give a presentation and participate in a Q&A with those in attendance about the detriments of polygraph testing, according to the hosts.
Polygraphs, often referred to as "lie detector tests," measure physiological changes that could indicate someone is being untruthful. However, there are no universal physiological signs of deception, and there are many ways to "beat" polygraphs. They are considered pseudoscience and are not admissible in court, but law enforcement officers can still use them to coerce confessions or release results to media in order to taint a jury pool and make it easier to secure a conviction.
The event is free to attend and open to the public. Hosts will provide light refreshments.
The bail fund formed in 2022 "with a mission to reduce the monetary bail burden imposed on legally innocent Douglas County residents," according to its board of directors.
#10
Post-Conviction Polygraph Programs / Texas Instant Offense Poly, Jo...
Last post by Heather in Texas - Feb 27, 2026, 03:51 PMHello Everyone,
I am looking for some guidance for my friend.
He was previously a Sherrif's Deputy in Johnson County Texas. He was diagnosed with PTSD after a shooting incident and is no longer in law enforcement as of January 2012.
He has been diagnosed with PTSD, B-polar with psychosis, Extreme Anxiety and Depression and is currently on disability. Fast forward to June 2019, he was arrested and charged with 2 counts of sexual contact with a minor. The charges dated back to July of 2017 and were made by his stepdaughter. He and his wife separated in December 2018. She was also charged with sexual contact with a minor. They had sent the daughter to live with her father in fall 2017 due to her promiscuity and lack of control. There was another younger son that stayed with them with no issues. The wife and her ex were embattled in a child support fight as her ex felt since they both had one of the children, child support should not be paid. In May 2019, he traveled to Johnson County to file the sexual contact charges and took custody of the son.
The case was caught up in court until June of 2024, yes 5 years, before my friend took a plea deal at the advice of his lawyer. He was encouraged to take the plea as he was prior law enforcement, and he was threatened with a 40-year sentence if it went to trial. Due to his medical issues, he did not at the time understand what he was agreeing to. Part of his his please is took submit to polygraph test and to pass them. He was recently sanctioned for failing two polygraphs. He maintains that he is innocent and never had and sexual contact with her. He is on about a dozen medications that can impact polygraph result.
My question is, has anyone been able to file a motion to remove polygraph tests, or the passing of polygraph tests, from their probation conditions? Technically he was violated for not attending sex offender treatment but that was due to his leader kicking him out of class and not allowing him to return unless he passed the polygraph exam.
I appreciate any help and guidance you can provide. Thank you.
I am looking for some guidance for my friend.
He was previously a Sherrif's Deputy in Johnson County Texas. He was diagnosed with PTSD after a shooting incident and is no longer in law enforcement as of January 2012.
He has been diagnosed with PTSD, B-polar with psychosis, Extreme Anxiety and Depression and is currently on disability. Fast forward to June 2019, he was arrested and charged with 2 counts of sexual contact with a minor. The charges dated back to July of 2017 and were made by his stepdaughter. He and his wife separated in December 2018. She was also charged with sexual contact with a minor. They had sent the daughter to live with her father in fall 2017 due to her promiscuity and lack of control. There was another younger son that stayed with them with no issues. The wife and her ex were embattled in a child support fight as her ex felt since they both had one of the children, child support should not be paid. In May 2019, he traveled to Johnson County to file the sexual contact charges and took custody of the son.
The case was caught up in court until June of 2024, yes 5 years, before my friend took a plea deal at the advice of his lawyer. He was encouraged to take the plea as he was prior law enforcement, and he was threatened with a 40-year sentence if it went to trial. Due to his medical issues, he did not at the time understand what he was agreeing to. Part of his his please is took submit to polygraph test and to pass them. He was recently sanctioned for failing two polygraphs. He maintains that he is innocent and never had and sexual contact with her. He is on about a dozen medications that can impact polygraph result.
My question is, has anyone been able to file a motion to remove polygraph tests, or the passing of polygraph tests, from their probation conditions? Technically he was violated for not attending sex offender treatment but that was due to his leader kicking him out of class and not allowing him to return unless he passed the polygraph exam.
I appreciate any help and guidance you can provide. Thank you.