Americas system of military honors is vulnerable to fraud, says Justice Samuel Alito. <\/p>\n
Justice Samuel Alito, who was honored at the 2014 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Awards gala in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, spoke with regret about the legal fallout from a recent First Amendment case over the right to lie about being a war hero. <\/p>\n
I fervently wish that we find a way, that Congress will find a way to protect the integrity of our countrys system of military honors, Justice Alito said, making a comparison to laws cracking down on counterfeit luxury goods. If there is no First Amendment right to buy a fake Rolex, why should there be a First Amendment right to wear a fake Medal of Honor? he said at the ceremony. <\/p>\n
Justice Alito was one of three dissenting votes in a 2012 Supreme Court free-speech ruling striking down a law that made it a federal crime to falsely claim to have been awarded military medals. <\/p>\n
The high-court declared unconstitutional the Stolen Valor Act, a 2006 statute Congress passed to protect the reputation and meaning of military honors. <\/p>\n
Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said: Permitting the government to decree this speech to be a criminal offense, whether shouted from the rooftops or made in a barely audible whisper, would endorse government authority to compile a list of subjects about which false statements are punishable. <\/p>\n
In response, Congress last year passed a new Stolen Valor Act, which makes it a crime to knowingly profit from lying about receiving military medals and decorations. <\/p>\n
Justice Alito, in his weekend remarks, said he couldnt comment specifically on the new statute. <\/p>\n
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Justice Alito Urges Congress to Protect Nations Military Honors System<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Americas system of military honors is vulnerable to fraud, says Justice Samuel Alito. Continue reading