After the hearing, Mr. Libby spoke to reporters.
Deputy federal public defender Johnathan Libby following his oral argument before the United States Supreme Court
JONATHAN LIBBY: “Well, it’s not OK to lie, generally. The issue is whether Congress can make it a crime to tell a lie, and the First Amendment would suggest that Congress doesn’t get to decide what we can and cannot say. What we’ve argued is there needs to be harm associated with the lie in order for it to be unprotected under the First Amendment. Here there was no harm as a result of what Mr. Alvarez said…If lies are not protected – have no protection, which is what the government seems to suggest here, then who knows where it could end? If there’s imminent harm that results from the lie, then you know that’s something that Congress has the right to worry about. If there’s not harm, then it shouldn’t matter where you say it or who you say it to.”
CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: A video of Mr. Libby can be seen on our website, voaspecialenglish.com. Government lawyers did not speak to reporters following their oral arguments at the Supreme Court.
The Court will announce its decision before the end of June.
If the Court says the Stolen Valor Act is unconstitutional, some members of the House of Representatives are ready. They have proposed a bill that would make lying about receiving a military honor illegal only if the person telling the lie planned to make money from it. That more narrowly-written law might be acceptable to the justices of the Supreme Court.
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25