But another judge in a different court said the Stolen Valor Act does not violate the constitution. The judge said “false statements of fact do not enjoy constitutional protection.”
(MUSIC)
CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: On the morning of Wednesday, February twenty-second, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments for and against the law. Lawyers representing each side of the issue presented their arguments. The court’s justices were very aggressive in their questioning of both sides.
Donald B. Verrilli, Junior, represented the government in the case. Mr. Verrilli is the Solicitor General of the United States, the government lawyer who defends federal laws. He was asked by Chief Justice John Roberts whether the government has the power under the Constitution to make any lie illegal.
CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: “But where do you stop? I mean, there are many things that people know about themselves that are objectively verifiable where Congress would have an interest in protecting. High school diploma. It is a crime to state that you have a high school diploma if you know that you don’t. That’s something you can check pretty easily. And Congress can say: We want people to finish high school. It’s a big thing to have a high school diploma. So we want to make sure nobody goes around saying they do when they don’t. What about that case?”
Later, Solicitor General Verrilli said why the government wanted the Court to find the law constitutional.
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2013-11-25
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