Opinion ID: 474122
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Witness Hernandez's Mention of Willingness to Take a Lie Detector Test.

Text: 30 On three different occasions during his testimony, witness John Hernandez stated his willingness to take a lie detector test in order to demonstrate the truth of a particular answer he had given. There was no objection to his first polygraph reference. The court sustained an objection to Hernandez's second polygraph reference and instructed the jury to disregard it. The court refused, however, to grant a motion for mistrial because it felt that none of the defendants had been prejudiced by the statement. An offer by the court to instruct the jury on the inadmissibility of polygraph evidence was declined by the defendants. A motion for mistrial made subsequent to Hernandez's third polygraph reference was denied by the court on the same basis as was the previous motion. Appellant Sanchez now contends that the court's denials of the motions for mistrial were erroneous. 31 It is now settled that polygraph evidence is inadmissible in this circuit, United States v. Holman, 680 F.2d 1340, 1352 (11th Cir.1982), and we agree with Sanchez that Hernandez's polygraph references were improper. We note, however, that Hernandez was only attempting to bolster the credibility of three specific answers given by him. The factual content of these answers was insignificant and the prejudicial effect of having the credibility of the answers bolstered by polygraph references was minimal. In addition, the court upon objection instructed the jury to disregard the polygraph reference and offered to instruct the jury on the inadmissibility of polygraph evidence. 32 In the two previous cases of Holman, 680 F.2d at 1351-52, and United States v. Martino, 648 F.2d 367, 390 (5th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 943, 102 S.Ct. 2006, 72 L.Ed.2d 465 and 456 U.S. 949, 102 S.Ct. 2020, 72 L.Ed.2d 474 (1982), we found that any prejudice resulting from similar references to polygraph tests was cured by the trial court's cautionary instructions. We are persuaded to reach the same conclusion here. The decision whether or not to grant a mistrial is within the sound discretion of the trial court. United States v. Melton, 739 F.2d 576, 579 (11th Cir.1984). We find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's denials of these motions for mistrial. 33