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Polygraphs get pedophile seal of approval

By Mark Obbie

The Journal's Laurie Cohen takes an unusual tack in this story about increasingly common use of polygraph testing. The much-maligned lie detector, widely discredited as reliable courtroom evidence, is nonetheless a useful and trusted tool in post-conviction proceedings, Cohen reports. And to illustrate that point, Cohen interviews convicted sex offenders whose polygraph tests sent them back to prison. The offenders admit that they were backsliding, and the polygraphs caught that. She relates the facts and explores the policy questions effectively. I would have preferred more detail on legal topics that Cohen barely skims: how courts are relaxing rules against using polygraphs as evidence, and whether parole violations resulting from negative polygraph tests meet everyone's standard of due process. Still, it's a fascinating look at why a law enforcement tool derided as "voodoo" is still so popular. Between this high-profile story and Cohen's excellent work in the Journal's coverage of the Spitzer affair, it's obvious why the Journal would take Cohen back after her fling with Portfolio last year. (P.S. - I have never ignored the Journal, despite its subscriber-only firewall, because of my high regard for its legal reporting. But now, thanks to this legal hack, I can link to free versions of the stories that subscribers like me can read already.)

Full post as published by Lawbeat on March 22, 2008 (boomark / email).