2 top law enforcement officials to review state po

[Blackbutter]

Figured you guys find this of interest (same organization who has a 60% failure rate for pre-employment candidates)

2 top law enforcement officials to review state police lie detector tests

August 1, 2004, 2:42 PM EDT

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut's two top law enforcement officials say they will review the reliability of state police polygraph tests following a federal trial that raised questions about the accuracy of the lie detectors.

A jury in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport in April found that Adrienne LaMorte, a former state trooper, had been transferred as punishment for complaining that her supervisor, Sgt. Randolph Howell, may have erred in his handling of lie detector tests. She was awarded $216,000.

Another former member of the polygraph unit testified during the trial that he complained to Howell's superior, now-retired Maj. John Leonard, about Howell's performance.

Both troopers were concerned that Howell's performance could affect the outcome of criminal cases.

Evidence at the trial showed that Howell failed courses at polygraph school but was passed anyway. LaMorte testified that Howell graded potential suspects in sexual assault cases as truthful when their polygraph results indicated differently.

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's office defended the state police at LaMorte's trial. Now he and Chief State's Attorney Christopher Morano want to know what effect, if any, Howell's tests may have had on criminal investigations.

"The trial certainly raised and deepened very serious concerns as to the accuracy of some polygraph results," Blumenthal said. "We are working with the chief state's attorney's office to evaluate the overall situation."

Howell's performance and the accuracy of his tests should be evaluated, Blumenthal said.

"Trials sometimes produce surprising evidence and results," he said. "Certainly, the trial produced some unexpected and unsettling testimony and other evidence."

Morano said he is investigating "what happened and what came out in that lawsuit."

"It certainly comes to the level of being examined by the state police and should have been examined a long time ago," he said.

Howell remains supervisor of the five-member polygraph unit, and state police say an internal investigation is not in the works.

"I'll invite anyone down to look at my records here," Howell told The Hartford Courant in editions published Sunday. "The facts will speak for themselves."

Last year, state police polygraphists conducted 750 examinations for state and local police, including 163 for criminal cases. Many other examinations were conducted to hire state and local police officers.

The state Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that polygraph results could be used in criminal sentencing, but continued to forbid their use as evidence in trials. Lawyers and prosecutors say they continue to use test results, particularly in plea bargains.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ct--polygraphquestion0801aug01,0,4615428.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

The formatting of this post has been edited to improve readability. --AntiPolygraph.org Administrator