States Ban Polygraphs for Assault Victims

Utah just banned police and government officials from asking people who report sexual assault to take polygraph tests, citing research and reporting that such tests are unreliable and retraumatizing for victims. The law, passed after two years and driven by a Salt Lake Tribune–ProPublica investigation and sponsored by Rep. Angela Romero, takes effect in May. — If other states follow, the change could alter law‑enforcement evidence practices, lower barriers to reporting sexual violence, and sharpen scrutiny of pseudoscientific investigative tools.