Polygraph Testing
Let a Sarasota Investigator and Former Intelligence Officer Help You Test the Truth
At Capital Protection & Investigations, we aim to help clients fight for the truth they deserve, even if this means putting it to the test. Private investigator Michael Frassetti is a former police officer who worked in the NYPD’s Intelligence Unit and the United Nations Dignitary Protection Unit. As a result, you can trust that he knows his way around investigation law and is committed to discovering the truth – one method of which to do so is the polygraph test. Whether you have questions about or seek to conduct a criminal polygraph, PCSOT, pre-employment test, or infidelity polygraph, we can help you.
Contact Michael Frassetti online or by phone at (888) 364-6185 to learn about what he can do for your situation.
What Is a Polygraph Test?
Polygraph tests, better known as lie detector tests, measure a person’s physiological reactions when asked a question. These tests can help to show when a person is giving a false or deceptive response. The test will generally examine a person’s breathing rate, pulse, blood pressure, and perspiration.
A test is usually conducted in a private room with only the tester and the subject present and consists of “Yes” or “No” questions. Tests also often include a pre-test questionnaire and sometimes a post-test questionnaire to set the tone. The tester will examine the subject’s physiological reactions in real time and is based on the theory that a person who is lying will exhibit certain behaviors (e.g., increased pulse), whereas a person telling the truth will have a calm pulse.
Criminal Polygraphs
Criminal polygraph tests are generally requested by the defense. Criminal defense lawyers use polygraph examinations results to get charges against their clients reduced or dismissed. If the examination results show that the person was not deceptive, the attorney will take these results to the prosecutor and use them to negotiate a positive outcome. As a direct result of presenting positive polygraph examination results, attorneys have been able to secure dropped or dismissed charges on particularly challenging cases, including when the defendant was innocent. Expert criminal defense attorneys understand when to use this strategy to best represent their clients.
Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing
Polygraph testing is also used with convicted sex offenders, as well. Post-conviction sex offender testing (PCSOT) generally falls under one of 2 types – the maintenance polygraph and the sexual history polygraph examination (SHPE). The maintenance polygraph assesses the sex offender's compliance with treatment and supervision over a specified period of time, and the SHPE is used to obtain information about the offender's lifetime history of sex offenses and sexually deviant behavior. The SHPE is often used to guide the probation officer on how to best supervise the offender based on the sexual history (e.g., their past patterns, choices of victims), and the polygraph session will begin with a pre-test questionnaire.
Note that while a criminal polygraph is mainly used to determine whether the person is guilty of the crime, the PCSOT mainly addresses the offender’s potential relationship with treatment and supervision, as well as whether they may still pose a significant risk to the community. As a result, it is critical to have an experienced investigator oversee such a polygraph test to ensure that all factors are being accounted for in addition to interpreting the results of the test.
Pre-Employment Tests
The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 (EPPA) protects most private employees from polygraph testing as an application screening step, though this law only applies to non-government employers. This means that private Florida employers are prohibited from requiring job applications to take a polygraph test as a precondition for hiring, but certain industries and public sector employers are permitted to issue polygraph tests:
- security jobs (e.g., security guard, armored driver);
- pharmaceutical roles that involve distributing drugs;
- government or law enforcement jobs.
Our private investigation firm has significant experience issuing a variety of polygraph testing and can help put together the pre-employment polygraph tests needed that abide by federal testing guidelines.
Infidelity Polygraphs
Another reason for using polygraph tests may be more personal, but nonetheless important. Our firm takes on numerous infidelity investigations, and we can implement infidelity polygraph testing to further supplement the process. In fact, infidelity polygraphs are one of the most common types of lie detector exams, and they could make or break a relationship on rocky foundation.
Our firm can conduct a rigorous and confidential infidelity test to help doubtful spouses or partners uncover the truth they deserve. Some things our polygraph tests may examine include:
- secret sexual affairs;
- illicit meetings with another person;
- intimate online conversations.
Questions? Contact Our Team.
Polygraph tests are used in a variety of fields for many different reasons. Whether you have a personal matter you wish to resolve in an infidelity polygraph or have questions about the criminal polygraph process, our skilled investigator, Michael Frassetti, can help you. From drafting the questions to conducting the test, he will know how to best draw out the answers you need and to stick the subject to the truth – or reveal their lack of it.
Contact us online to learn more about our polygraph testing services today.