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United States free speechfalse statements

United States v. Alvarez

567 U. S. 709 (2012)
JurisdictionUnited States
CourtSupreme Court of the United States
Year2012
StatusBinding authority

Key Principle

False statements of fact are not categorically excluded from First Amendment protection by virtue of their falsity alone, and the Stolen Valor Act's blanket criminalization of falsely claiming to have received a military decoration is an unconstitutional content-based restriction that cannot survive exacting scrutiny.

Area of Law

General

Related Cases

Klein v. Martin 607 U. S. 213 (2026)
Ellingburg v. United States 607 U.S. ___ (2026)
Inc. v. Palmquist 607 U.S. 421 (2026)

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