Opinion ID: 503299
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Polygraph Tests

Text: 49 The magistrate's treatment of the polygraph tests, which was adopted by the district court, appears to disregard Ohio law and the trial judge's declaration that he would not have admitted the polygraph tests had they been offered in evidence. Yet, we are asked to accept the premise that, since Antonio Leal's counsel persuaded his trial judge to admit the results of the test, petitioner's counsel also might have been equally persuasive. 50 The district court and petitioner cite only United States v. Greichunos, 572 F.Supp. 220 (N.D.Ill.1983), which held that the inadmissibility of exculpatory evidence does not justify the prosecution's failure to produce it. However, that decision points out that, in the Seventh Circuit, polygraph evidence is admissible in the discretion of the court. Id. at 230. 51 In Ohio, polygraph evidence was not then, and is not now, admissible except under specified conditions which require the consent of both the defendant and the state. Even then, admissibility is subject to the discretion of the trial judge, who may refuse to accept such evidence if not convinced that the examiner was qualified or that the test was conducted under proper conditions. State v. Souel, 53 Ohio St.2d 123, 132, 372 N.E.2d 1318, 1323 (1978); State v. Levert, 58 Ohio St.2d 213, 215, 389 N.E.2d 848, 850 (1979); State v. Woodruff, 10 Ohio App.3d 326, 327, 462 N.E.2d 457, 459 (1983). Furthermore, the state may, by a motion in limine, obtain a pretrial order prohibiting references to the results of polygraph tests. State v. Whitmeyer, 20 Ohio App.3d 279, 279-80, 485 N.E.2d 1055, 1056 (1984). 52 Both the prosecutor and Costilla's counsel agreed to a plea bargain that required Costilla to pass a polygraph test with respect to naming the participants in the crimes. No judicial action was involved in the plea bargain. The tests were performed in order to permit the prosecutor to exercise the discretion committed to his office, and not for the purpose of introducing the test results as evidence. The trial judge found that the prosecution, in good faith, believed that the test results were not discoverable. 53 Although polygraph test results may be discoverable for reasons other than admitting them into evidence, petitioner's concern has always been to use the test results to impeach Costilla. Except where Souel requirements are met, Ohio law prohibits use of polygraph test results for purposes of corroboration or impeachment. See Levert, 58 Ohio St.2d at 215, 389 N.E.2d at 850. 54 Because the factual record in this case is complete and our determination does not call for the further resolution of any factual issues, remand is unnecessary. United States v. Nichols, 818 F.2d at 558. The order of the district court, dated December 2, 1986, is reversed, and the writ is denied.