Opinion ID: 1058625
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admissibility of Polygraph Examination Results

Text: As stated above, the Court of Criminal Appeals opined that it is not the role of an appellate court to review the use of polygraph examination results in sex offender risk assessments, because it believed that the use of such results had been condoned in an administrative rule promulgated according to the policy judgment of the legislature. Relying upon prior decisions of this Court, Pierce contends polygraph exam results are inherently unreliable and that the trial court erred by considering the results of a polygraph examination in determining his sentence. The State agrees with Pierce that the polygraph examination results were inadmissible as evidence. However, the State argues that the trial court did not err by considering the initial risk assessment report because no polygraph examination had been given when the risk assessment was conducted, so the initial report was not based upon or influenced by polygraph results. We begin our analysis with a review of the statutes that govern the pre-sentence risk assessment evaluation of sex offenders. A convicted sex offender who is seeking probation must submit to an evaluation for the purposes of identifying and assessing the offender's risk of re-offending and potential for treatment and to establish a treatment plan and procedures for monitoring behavior. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-705 (2003). The evaluation report shall be included as part of the pre-sentence report and shall be considered by the court in determining the sentencing issues stated in this section. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-705(b) (2003). The evaluation must be performed according to the standardized procedures developed and prescribed by the Sex Offender Treatment Board (Board). See Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-704(d)(1) (2003). [6] While the Legislature has given the Board authority to develop and prescribe standardized procedures for conducting the evaluations, it is important to note that no statutes mandate or encourage the Board to prescribe the use of polygraph examinations as part of a standardized procedure for conducting the evaluations. Polygraph examinations are mentioned in a separate statutory subsection, Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-704(d)(2), but the statute relates only to the use of polygraph examinations in the treatment and monitoring of sex offenders who have been placed on probation, incarcerated with the department of correction, placed on parole, or placed in community corrections. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-704(d)(2) (2003). [7] Therefore, this statutory provision authorizes polygraph examinations for treatment and monitoring that occurs after a sentencing decision has been made. Furthermore, while the statutes mandate that the evaluation report prepared in accordance with the standardized procedures adopted by the Board be included in the pre-sentence report submitted to the trial court and considered by the trial court in determining the sentencing issues, [8] the statutes do not mandate that trial courts consider polygraph examinations in determining sentencing issues. Polygraph examinations are not mandated or mentioned in the statutes relating to this required pre-sentence evaluation. Moreover, even though the standardized procedures developed and prescribed by the Board include the use of polygraph examinations, [9] trial courts are not bound by the Board's standardized procedures when determining what evidence is admissible at a sentencing hearing. Indeed, the admissibility of evidence at a sentencing hearing is governed by Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-35-209(b) (2003), which provides: The rules of evidence shall apply, except that reliable hearsay including, but not limited to, certified copies of convictions or documents, may be admitted if the opposing party is accorded a fair opportunity to rebut any hearsay evidence so admitted; provided, that this subsection shall not be construed to authorize the introduction of any evidence secured in violation of the constitution of the United States or of Tennessee. [10] Tennessee Rule of Evidence 402 states that [e]vidence which is not relevant is not admissible. It is well-established in the jurisprudence of this State that polygraph evidence is inherently unreliable, and therefore irrelevant and inadmissible. See State v. Torres, 82 S.W.3d 236, 252 n. 20 (Tenn.2002); State v. Irick, 762 S.W.2d 121, 127 (Tenn.1988); Grant v. State, 213 Tenn. 440, 374 S.W.2d 391, 392 (1964); Marable v. State, 203 Tenn. 440, 313 S.W.2d 451, 456 (1958); State v. Campbell, 904 S.W.2d 608, 614-15 (Tenn.Crim.App.1995) (citing additional cases). Recently, in State v. Hartman, this Court applied this longstanding rule and held that the trial court had not erred by refusing to allow the defendant to introduce the results of his polygraph examination as mitigation evidence at his capital sentencing hearing. 42 S.W.3d 44, 60 (Tenn.2001). In so holding, we noted that the polygraph examination's lack of any indicia of reliability means it is not probative. Id. We upheld the trial court's refusal to admit the polygraph test results even though the rules of evidence are not strictly applied in capital sentencing hearings. Id. This longstanding rule barring the admission of polygraph evidence applies with greater clarity in this non-capital sentencing hearing where the rules of evidence are expressly applicable. Indeed, justice would not be served by a rule that allowed prosecutors to introduce polygraph test results against a defendant in a non-capital sentencing hearing, while at the same time precluding a defendant from introducing such evidence in his own behalf during a capital sentencing proceeding. Therefore, we reaffirm our prior decisions and hold that polygraph examinations are unreliable and inadmissible. Consequently, polygraph examination results, testimony on such results, or testimony regarding a defendant's willingness or refusal to submit to a polygraph examination is not admissible during capital or non-capital sentencing hearings. Other states have reached the same conclusion on the use of polygraph examination results in sentencing. See People v. Liddell, 63 Mich.App. 491, 234 N.W.2d 669, 672 (1975); State v. Anderson, 293 Mont. 472, 977 P.2d 315, 317 (1999); Commonwealth v. Puchalski, 310 Pa.Super. 199, 456 A.2d 569, 573 (1983). Therefore, when imposing sentences, trial courts should not consider polygraph examination results or any portion of a risk assessment report that relies upon polygraph examination results. Applying this rule to the facts in this case, we conclude that the trial court erred by considering the results of Pierce's polygraph examination when determining his sentence. The trial court's statements made it clear that its decision to deny Pierce probation was greatly influenced by the polygraph examination results it accepted into evidence. This conclusion that the trial court erred does not end the inquiry, however, because the Court of Criminal Appeals concluded that, excluding the polygraph results, sufficient evidence in the record supported the trial court's denial of probation. For the reasons that follow, we agree with the Court of Criminal Appeals's conclusion.