Court Opinion

ID: 9735438
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 18:15:29.134927+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:58.666276
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE WILLIAM A. LEWIS, specially concurring: I agree with the reasoning and finding of the majority opinion, but I feel compelled to make some additional comments. John Clutter testified that the defendant told him how to pass the test and promised him a leather jacket if he beat the test. “Testimony is relevant and admissible that relates to any attempt by a party to conceal or, by threat or otherwise, to suppress evidence or otherwise obstruct an investigation.” (People v. Gacho (1988), 122 Ill. 2d 221, 247, 522 N.E.2d 1146, 1158.) Surely the evidence that defendant was attempting to bribe a witness and instructed him as to how to stymie the State’s investigation indicates a guilty conscience and constitutes an admission. People v. Gambony (1948), 402 Ill. 74, 80, 83 N.E.2d 321, 325, cert. denied (1949), 337 U.S. 910, 93 L. Ed. 1722, 69 S. Ct. 1045. If we found that Clutter’s testimony warranted a reversal, we would be establishing an exception to the rules of evidence. Evidence that is admissible as an admission, prior inconsistent statement, proof of notice or under any other evidentiary rule becomes inadmissible if the words “polygraph or lie detector” are used or involved in describing the occurrence. Diana King merely mentioned “the man that gave the lie detector test” as being present during a second interview by the police and further mentioned the lie detector test during cross-examination by the defense in establishing a chronology of the various interviews with the police. If we reverse this case based upon the fact that the magic words “polygraph or lie detector test” were mentioned, then we would be creating the nightmare that exists in tort cases with the mention of the magic word “insurance.” The polygraph test may be unreliable, but it is an important investigatory tool for the police, especially in the elimination of innocent persons from the investigation or suspicion. We should not create potential reversible error in every case that the polygraph is used, unless its use clearly prejudices the defendant and interferes with the integrity of the judicial process. In this case the evidence was overwhelming against the defendant, so a reversal merely causes a retrial for no other purpose than to see if the prosecutor can coach or “woodshed” his witnesses sufficiently not to violate the rules of the game by mentioning those horrible words “polygraph or lie detector.” Meanwhile, defense counsel’s only hope is a mistrial and it becomes very tempting for counsel to lure the State’s witnesses into the trap. The question of guilt or innocence becomes lost in this game of technicalities. Finally, I feel that we sometimes fail to give jurors credit for having some intelligence and knowledge. Surely jurors are aware that the polygraph machine exists and that police use it in investigating cases. They may even be aware that such “lie detector tests” are unreliable. Even if the jurors are not aware of the unreliability of polygraph tests, would not a simple instruction from the court to- that effect be sufficient to cure any prejudice in those cases where the results are not given to the jury but witnesses mention taking the tests in their testimony?