An Arizona man who faced criminal charges under the nation's Stolen Valor Act pleaded guilty to lesser crimes Thursday afternoon, just one day after a federal appeals panel ruled that lying about military awards is protected free speech.
Kurt A. Bishop, 42, of Queen Creek, was indicted in April on 34 counts related to fraudulent claims that he was decorated in the Army with a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Ranger Tab and numerous other honors. The charges included eight violations of the Stolen Valor Act
On Wednesday, in a controversial California case, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the First Amendment protects a person who concocts a phony military record unless the deceit harms someone or is for pecuniary gain.
| Which, as I suggested before, is the case about 99% of the time, even if it's just for a free drink at the local watering hole. If you aren't trying to impress someone and thereby get something, why bother with the concocted story in the first place? |
On Thursday, at the U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Bishop pleaded guilty to two counts of falsified documentation - one a felony and the other a misdemeanor, according to defense attorney Jon Paladini. The Stolen Valor charges and 23 counts of wire fraud were dismissed, Paladini said, and prosecutors agreed to recommend no jail time at sentencing. |