The way the Supreme Court has been going lately, this will probably be another 4-4 vote with Anthony Kennedy casting the tie-breaker. But it really deserves to be 9-0 in favor of lying liar Xaviar Alvarez:
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Supreme Court says it will decide whether a federal law making it a crime to lie about being awarded a military medal or decoration violated free-speech rights.
The justices agreed to review a ruling that struck down the "Stolen Valor Act" passed by Congress in 2006.
The appeal says the law went too far in infringing on constitutional freedom-of-speech protections.
The law targets individuals who falsely claim that they won a military decoration or medal.
Violators can face up to one year if convicted.
People who lie about such things are despicable and deserve all the scorn and ridicule we can heap on them. But unless there is some concomitant fraud, such as collecting the kind of freebies people tend to favor heroes with, lying shouldn't be criminalized. Just imagine what it would do to politicians if the idea punishing liars caught on.
