Pennsylvania gets stolen valor act
According to The Daily Item, Pennsylvania’s governor, Tom Wolf, signed the state’s Stolen Valor Act into law this week;
John Getz, state adjutant of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Pennsylvania, said the legislation’s title is apt and the legislation is warranted to punish impersonators who try to benefit from pretending to be a veteran.
“I think they are criminals because they are stealing the valor of people who have done these deeds,” he said.
Previously, lying about military service was not illegal in Pennsylvania.
The legislation makes it a third-degree misdemeanor for a person to falsely claim to be a veteran in order to commit fraud, get a job or get elected to public office. It carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. The penalty is increased to up to two years in jail and $5,000 fine if the person falsely claims to have received medals, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, a Silver Star or Purple Heart.
The states with Stolen Valor Acts have been more successful fighting the scourge of lying about military service than states which rely solely on federal enforcement. We’ve seen more prosecutions by state enforcement in recent years.
Not mentioned in the article is the hard work put towards that goal by Matt Ott, who made the Stolen Valor Act in Pennsylvania his pet peeve when he was deceived by Nate Fornwalt three years ago. Matt, the son of two veterans, marched through the halls of the state legislature shaking hands and fighting for this bill. Thanks, Matt.
Category: Stolen Valor Act
Hmm. I wonder how a certain PA state legislator from the Scranton-area feels about this law?
I’m going to go out on a limb and say he voted against it?
Nope he acutally voted for it, i asked on his facebook page how he was able to vote for this with a straight face.
Good for Matt Ott and his father.
There is a young man who knows right from wrong and is willing to fight for what is right.
Would love to bring this legislation down to the great state of Florida!
Good job, Matt!
Well done, Matt.
KUDOS, Matt!
Three years? Has it really been that long?
Congratulations Matt on a job well done.
This is how you lobby for a bill. This is what it’s supposed to look like.
Somebody walk me thirough this. Let’s say a valor thief gets busted. Does that mean that now that it’s a state crime and a federal crime. Does that mean that the local DA. And the US attorney’s office can bring separate charges ? I’m just curious as to how this plays out and do you think that a double whammy as far as charges go will deter future POSers from cropping up. If true it seems like a very powerful tool to curb this epidemic . Thanks
The state statutes are sometimes worded differently than the fed statute. Thus, the specific elements of the offense may be different. Only the state authorities (DA’s) will be enforcing the state stolen valor statutes. The US Attorneys do not normally have jurisdiction to enforce state criminal statutes. In certain situations, the state courts have concurrent jurisdiction for some civil claims (for example, some civil rights laws), so they can enforce federal law. I doubt the stolen valor law is one of them.
Thanks that makes it a lot clearer
Bravo Zulu, Matt!
Does anyone know if New Mexico has such a law on the books? If so, then I have another avenue to go after my pos brother? BZ Matt, a job well done!!!
I’m not certain that they have their own law. Maybe you can take that up with legislators.
http://krqe.com/2016/05/13/man-running-security-company-arrested-for-stolen-valor-felon-with-a-gun/
Good Job, MATT!!!
Hey, hey Jonn, Arkansas finally passed our bill earlier this year and it didn’t get a mention – or did I miss it? State Legislator Reserve Component SF 1SG Trevor Drown Regardless carried the ball on our bill. Well done Matt and PA. It is incumbent on all of youse guys to have a similar bill enacted in every state.
Anytime a state law exceeds the federal law in it’s standards (without violating the standards of the federal law), the state law takes precedence.
It’s far easier for states to prosecute misdemeanor crimes of this type because they can attack the problem at the state, county, or municipal level and not lose any power of the law along the way.
AND GOD BLESS MATHEW OTT!