Mr. Specter. In your opinion, was Mr. Ruby in contact with reality during the course of the polygraph examination?
Dr. Beavers. In the greater proportion of the time that he answered the questions, I felt that he was aware of the questions and that he understood them, and that he was giving answers based on an appreciation of reality.
Mr. Specter. Was there any element of a delusional state present in the answers which he gave during the course of this polygraphic examination?
Dr. Beavers. I felt the only time that there were questions which tapped any of the underlying delusional systems were the questions relating to his opinion about the safety of his defense counsel and the safety of his family, either past or present.
It seemed to me, because he was fairly certain in his answers during the trial run, and then following this during the actual run of the polygraph, there was so much hesitation and uncertainty which resulted in no answers, that we were seeing a good deal of internal struggle as to just what was reality.
His explanation following this, following the run of the polygraph, I don’t think enlightened us very much in terms of what it was he was actually feeling or thinking.
Mr. Specter. But would you have concluded that he was delusional had he stated that his family and his attorneys were in danger?
Dr. Beavers. I’ve got to think about that. You can’t answer it “Yes”—if it had been as strong a question as it might have been possible to frame, but I feel that to get a perfectly accurate idea of what he meant by it would require more than a “Yes” or “No” answer, but this would have been one of things that had he answered it directly, that would have led me to think that he had an area here where reality in the testimony was poor.
Mr. Specter. Well, does his refusal to answer that question during the course of the polygraph examination, subject to the analysis that the polygraphic examinations can bring to bear, indicate that he is not in a delusional state?
Dr. Beavers. I’m not sure I follow you here.