Opinion ID: 2289965
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Whether Testimony as to a Polygraph Test Was Ground for a Mistrial

Text: The rule in Pennsylvania is that reference to a lie detector test or the result thereof which raises inferences concerning the guilt or innocence of a defendant is inadmissible. Commonwealth v. Johnson, 441 Pa. 237, 272 A. 2d 467 (1971); Commonwealth v. Saunders, 386 Pa. 149, 125 A. 2d 442 (1956); Commonwealth v. McKinley, 181 Pa. Superior Ct. 610, 123 A. 2d 735 (1956); Commonwealth ex rel. Riccio v. Dilworth, 179 Pa. Superior Ct. 64, 115 A. 2d 865 (1955). Appellant contends that this rule was violated at his trial by the testimony of Officer Kowalczyk, a Commonwealth witness. Kowalczyk testified that after he had reviewed the papers he had received from the lie detector test taken by appellant, I turned to this defendant and told him, I says `Son, you're in trouble'. I says `You need an attorney and I advise you not to say a word.' Taken by itself, it is certainly a fair inference from this statement that the result of the test was unfavorable. The statement must, however, be put in perspective. Earlier in the trial Detective Krimmel, another witness for the prosecution, had been asked about the giving of the lie detector test as a part of the total circumstances bearing on the treatment of the accused, his conduct and bearing at the time of his interrogation, and in general the voluntariness issue. The assistant district attorney asked Krimmel what transpired after the completion of the tests, whereupon the court made certain the witness understood he was not asked as to the result of the test. Before Detective Krimmel could answer, defense counsel moved to withdraw a juror on the ground that the test result was already inferentially in evidence. This was overruled, but the court announced clearly to counsel and the witness that a statement of the result would be ground for a mistrial, unless it were to come out on cross-examination. No further questions were asked concerning the polygraph test; at no time on direct examination did the detective give any testimony bearing on the result of the polygraph test. On cross-examination, Detective Krimmel was asked by defense counsel what occurred between the time Officer Kowalczyk administered the polygraph examination and the time when Camm made his oral confession. His reply was that Officer Kowalczyk told Camm he was lying and needed a lawyer. This was the first time any inference was raised as to the result of the test. Later, when Kowalczyk himself was on the stand, he gave the answer which is quoted above in response to the following question by the assistant district attorney: Now, without going into the results of the tests, without stating the result, what happened after you administered the tests? On direct examination of the appellant, the appellant also testified that Kowalczyk told him he was lying. Later still, the polygraph charts and results were offered in evidence by appellant's counsel, and admitted. A review of the record makes it clear that the giving of the lie detector test was important only as one aspect of the total sequence of events bearing on the issue of voluntariness of appellant's confession; the result or veracity of the test was not sought to be elicited by the Commonwealth, and the inference of an unfavorable test result was first brought out by counsel for the appellant on cross-examination of Officer Krimmel. In these circumstances, the subsequent testimony of Officer Kowalczyk, clarifying what he had said to the appellant following the test, was not prejudicial error to which appellant could properly object, and the motion for a mistrial was correctly refused. [8]