Photo: Dwightsghost /Flickr The Supreme Court says the First Amendment grants the right to lie about having earned a military decoration. But a divided federal appeals court is ruling the right of speech doesn’t stretch that far when it comes to impersonating the police. With that interpretation, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is upholding a $250 fine and six months of probation handed to a motorist who tried to skate out of a speeding ticket by lying to a cop that he was a police officer — a misdemeanor under Virginia law and several other states, including Ohio, California and New York. It’s the first decision of its kind following the Supreme Court’s June decision invalidating a federal law that made it a crime to lie about receiving military honors . But the appeals court majority reasoned that badges and medals are apples and oranges. Lying about war decorations cannot pose a harm like lying about being a cop, the court said.

Originally posted here:
Court Says Impersonating a Cop to Beat Traffic Tickets Is Not Protected Speech