Court Rules Stolen Valor Act Illegal

Week of August 23, 2010

An appeals court panel in California ruled that federal law that makes it a crime to falsely claim valor is unconstitutional. The decision involves the case of Xavier Alvarez of Pomona, Calif., a water district board member who said he had received the Medal of Honor. Alvarez pleaded guilty on condition that he be allowed to appeal on First Amendment grounds. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with him in a 2-1 decision, agreeing that the law was a violation of his free-speech rights. The court said there's no evidence that such lies harm anybody, and there's no compelling reason for the government to ban such lies. Read the full article.