United States Court Says Wearing Unearned Military Medals Is Free Speech

This is not the first time that this has happened where we've seen a person either dressed as a member of the military family or wearing a medal or honor they never received on them. Apparently, though it is not a crime. As a matter of fact, according to the Constitution, it is free speech.

The United States threw out a case against a United States veteran wearing medals he claimed he won, but really had not. According to WIVB:

Elven Joe Swisher of Idaho was convicted in 2007 of violating the Stolen Valor Act, which made it a misdemeanor to falsely claim military accomplishments. President George W. Bush signed it into law in 2006, but the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in 2012 as a violation of free speech protections.

 

Investigators looked into Swisher’s military claims after he testified at the 2005 trial of a man charged with soliciting the murder of a federal judge. Swisher wore a Purple Heart on the witness stand.

 

Swisher testified that David Roland Hinkson offered him $10,000 to kill the federal judge presiding over Hinkson’s tax-evasion case. Swisher said Hinkson was impressed after Swisher boasted that he killed “many men” during the Korean War.

What do you think?