Law Barring Lies About Military Medals Faces Test

[FLYBOYJ]

Law Barring Lies About Military Medals Faces Test

DENVER (AP) ― A federal law that makes it illegal for anyone to falsely claim military medals is facing First Amendment challenges in Colorado and California.

Lawyers in both cases have made similar arguments against the Stolen Valor Act, saying that lying is protected by the First Amendment unless it does real harm.

Xavier Alvarez of Pomona, Calif., admitted he falsely claimed he received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration.

A judge rejected a motion to dismiss the charge on free speech grounds. Alvarez has appealed.

In Colorado, Richard Glen Strandlof is awaiting trial on charges of falsely claiming he received a Purple Heart and Silver Star.

He pleaded not guilty. The judge hasn't ruled on motions raising the free speech argument.


Strandlof appeared at events around my neck of the woods. Eventually he was found out and almost tarred and feathered!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I hope the law stands. Anyone that falsely claims to have earned medals should be punished in my opinion.

 

[Glider]

We had a similar case in the UK and I am glad to say he was found guilty.

 

[Bucksnort101]

The Founding Fathers would be rolling in thier graves if they knew what the 1st Amendment was being used to defend in this country IMHO!!!
Put them on trial in front of a jury of decorated military vets I say. They are the peers these types are trying to emulate so let them be the peers that judge them.

 

[evangilder]

I totally agree, Buck. It is beyond me why anyone would wear what they don't earn.

 

[Colin1]

We had a similar case in the UK and I am glad to say he was found guilty.

Was that the chap in the SAS beret and decorations for everything from the Battle of Hastings to the Gulf War, from the end of last year?

 

[Njaco]

Law Barring Lies About Military Medals Faces Test

DENVER (AP) ― A federal law that makes it illegal for anyone to falsely claim military medals is facing First Amendment challenges in Colorado and California.

Lawyers in both cases have made similar arguments against the Stolen Valor Act, saying that lying is protected by the First Amendment unless it does real harm.
Xavier Alvarez of Pomona, Calif., admitted he falsely claimed he received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration.

A judge rejected a motion to dismiss the charge on free speech grounds. Alvarez has appealed.

In Colorado, Richard Glen Strandlof is awaiting trial on charges of falsely claiming he received a Purple Heart and Silver Star.

He pleaded not guilty. The judge hasn't ruled on motions raising the free speech argument.


Strandlof appeared at events around my neck of the woods. Eventually he was found out and almost tarred and feathered!

EVER HEAR OF PERJURY???!!!! These lawyers ........................

 

[ToughOmbre]

Freedom of speech is not an ABSOLUTE freedom or right!

If you can't yell "FIRE" in a crowded movie theater (and you can't), neither can you LIE about medals that are awarded only in combat.

TO

 

[Butters]

Perjury is lying when under oath. Lying to a law enforcement officer is obstruction of justice (at least here in Canada...)

Lying per se is not a crime.

JL

 

[Glider]

Was that the chap in the SAS beret and decorations for everything from the Battle of Hastings to the Gulf War, from the end of last year?

Thats the man

 

[ccheese]

I do not understand why a man would lie about receiving a medal he was not entitled to wear.

Charles

 

[RabidAlien]

They should be tried by a jury of their peers (agree with Bucksnort on this...those who have won those specific medals should, if at all possible, be included in the jury), then locked in an inner-city gym with those self-same peers...and a truckload of baseball bats. Lying about the medals not only shows that you yourself have no sense of personal honor, self-respect, or courage, but also dishonors every man or woman who ever earned those medals.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

This goes for any kind of military award. There are plenty of people that have served in the military and wear campaign medals for conflicts or deployments they never served in.

Another thing that really irks me is people that do not seem to be proud of the service they did, and they have to lie about their service, and claim they did things that they never did. It really bothers me. I was a soldier, but not a hero or anything like that. I was a Blackhawk Crew Chief. I served my country for 6 years. I deployed twice, once to Kosovo and once to Iraq. I am proud of what I did! I do not need to claim to be something that I was not, such as an Army Ranger or Special Forces or something.

People that do that, hurt the service to me. I think it is offensive to anyone who served. Be proud of what you did, you do not need to pretend to be something you were not! Anyone that served, should be proud of what they did, no matter what they did.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

This goes for any kind of military award. There are plenty of people that have served in the military and wear campaign medals for conflicts or deployments they never served in.

Another thing that really irks me is people that do not seem to be proud of the service they did, and they have to lie about their service, and claim they did things that they never did. It really bothers me. I was a soldier, but not a hero or anything like that. I was a Blackhawk Crew Chief. I served my country for 6 years. I deployed twice, once to Kosovo and once to Iraq. I am proud of what I did! I do not need to claim to be something that I was not, such as an Army Ranger or Special Forces or something.

People that do that, hurt the service to me. I think it is offensive to anyone who served. Be proud of what you did, you do not need to pretend to be something you were not! Anyone that served, should be proud of what they did, no matter what they did.

Agree 100%

 

[Ferdinand Foch]

This goes for any kind of military award. There are plenty of people that have served in the military and wear campaign medals for conflicts or deployments they never served in.

Another thing that really irks me is people that do not seem to be proud of the service they did, and they have to lie about their service, and claim they did things that they never did. It really bothers me. I was a soldier, but not a hero or anything like that. I was a Blackhawk Crew Chief. I served my country for 6 years. I deployed twice, once to Kosovo and once to Iraq. I am proud of what I did! I do not need to claim to be something that I was not, such as an Army Ranger or Special Forces or something.

People that do that, hurt the service to me. I think it is offensive to anyone who served. Be proud of what you did, you do not need to pretend to be something you were not! Anyone that served, should be proud of what they did, no matter what they did.

Amen to that. Personally, I think they should go to jail. To h@@@ to what people in Berekly or Boulder have to say. This is just wrong, and morally disgusting.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Sorry, but committing fraud (which is exactly what this is) is not protected under the US Constitution.

 

[ccheese]

Sorry, but committing fraud (which is exactly what this is) is not protected under the US Constitution.

While your thoughts on the subject have merit, I don't agree with your "committing fraud" comment.
When you commit fraud you are intentionally trying to cheat someone out of something.

I don't believe it is right to lie about having earned or wearing medals that you are not entitled to,
however, most of the people who do this are trying to impress someone, and are not trying to
cheat someone. That, in itself, is the basis for the so called legal arguement.

Please don't misinterpret this as condoning those who lie about medals or decorations. I am
totally against it, and think they should be punished severely. I am just looking at the legal
side of it, under the US Constitution.

Charles

 

[vikingBerserker]

It meets the legal definition of fraud. Fraud is defined as: "a person who is not what he or she pretends to be" or "an act of deceiving or misrepresenting"

What people like this are doing is intentionally deceiving somebody for personal gain - in most cases like this it's for "glory"

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I agree with all here and believe they should be punished. Something very embarrassing, humiliating, and degrading so that whenever they are seen in public it is known who they are and what they did. In essence, sending their ego 180 degrees in the opposite direction.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I don't believe it is right to lie about having earned or wearing medals that you are not entitled to,
however, most of the people who do this are trying to impress someone, and are not trying to
cheat someone. That, in itself, is the basis for the so called legal arguement.

While I agree with you that they are only trying to impress someone, I believe that it is cheating themselves and the service.

To me it does nothing but insult others that have served or those that have served. It is an insult to the service!