Stolen Valor Act signed in New Mexico
KFOX14 reports that New Mexico’s Governor Susana Martinez signed a new Stolen Valor Act that will take effect July 1st.
Gov. Susana Martinez signed the House bill last week, making it a misdemeanor to make false claims of military service for personal gain.
In New Mexico, a misdemeanor is punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to a year in jail, or both.
Folks we spoke with were mixed on the law.
Some were supportive of the new legislation.
“It’s a great first step, but I think it should be a harsher penalty than just a misdemeanor,” said Adame.
While others did not believe stolen valor should be punishable.
“I’m kind of caught in the middle,” said Sunland Park resident Sonny Cenicros. “I don’t think it should go as far as a misdemeanor.”
The new law isn’t as tough as it is across the border in Texas;
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in 2015 creating harsher punishments for stolen valor, making it a class B misdemeanor.
It carries a fine up to $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail.
Category: Stolen Valor Act
Its basically a ‘theft by deception’ law. You tell somebody something that isn’t true to gain something of value. Stealing in other word. A Confidence Game or Con for short is another name for this type of crime if its more sophisticated in nature.
I’m fine with a misdemeanor for amounts below a certain threshold…say $500. Felony for amounts exceeding $500.
Do you think its worth a blotch or your permanent record for something as asinine as Stolen Valor just to get a discount at Starbucks? It won’t stop all of them for damn sure, but it will knock a few phonies out of the box in my opinion.
Why in hell would ANYONE be mixed ON THIS? You realy want tbese phonies running around getting money from good hearted people or VA or anywhere else?
Finally now maybe they will arrest my pos brother and throw his ass in jail! I think it should be a felony at least? Now will someone please get my pos brother arrested! He has bilked the VA out of a hell of a lot of money for his phony PTSD crap! Throw this useless asshole in jail!
“for personal gain” is a pretty broad or narrow category depending on who is calling it.
If you get laid because you lied, is that personal gain?
If you get a new job and you include that in your resume?
If you get government assistance?
More prosecutor discretion where they will pile this charge on other charges, will be the first one they drop/plead down and one where they will loath to throw this around as a stand alone charge.
You nailed it.
SV w personal gain is relatively easy to prove, assuming the PD/Sheriff/etc get notice and get on it. As we’ve seen, SV is often the tip of a sh*tberg and a indictment allows stricter scrutiny and search warrants.
I personally don’t give a flying screw if SV is pled down or nolled so long as the perp gets hammered in the squeak hole, repeatedly.
I’m all for stolen valor being a crime; however, we had an employee pad his resume with more military experience than he had. He’s no longer working here. One day I caught him in a lie and gave him two weeks to produce a 214. When he showed the 214 it proved he was lying. The sad thing was if he had told the truth from day 1, he would still have been hired and still might be working here.
I say he lied to get the job and that makes it personal gain. We didn’t need to involve the DA. I wonder, as stolen valor is oft the cherry on top of the fecal cream pie, maybe the DA should have been involved, what else could he have been doing?
If you get laid because you lied, is that personal gain? Well, that sort of depends on which girl/guy you got laid by.
Im pretty sure most of the POSers gotta pay for it anyway 😉
I’m not at all certain the news account writers actually read the bill, now law. One likened it to the Federal SV statute. In my view, it isn’t close. In fact, nothing in the state law prohibits someone who didn’t make it out of Basic from claiming any medals, decorations, or awards he wants. The law merely speaks to misrepresenting oneself as a Veteran or a current military member. I’d like to see some strength in this NM law but it sucks and is the weakest SV state law I have yet to see. If you would like to read it, here’s the link.
https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/18%20Regular/final/HB0067.pdf
Great. Much better a little something for Stolen Valor than nothing at all. Competent LE and prosecutors have an additional tool to use.
Sure, most of us would rather it be a felony, but I will take this.
Maybe we can encourage all the posers in New Mexico to get with the program and make a bunch of false claims of military service between now and July 1.
I’m with you, OWB… better something than nothing at all. Now, to get the prosecutors to do their jobs…
Joe enlisted in the Navy but was discharged for medical reasons after 10 days. Joe goes home to Sante Fe and starts a FB account with military action pics and claims of two Purple Hearts and a Navy Cross. Based on these claims, he is invited by a local high school to speak to students, which he accepts, along with a free meal. He is given a $50 gift card as a parting token of appreciation. Joes has NOT violated the New Mexico SV law.
But has violated the federal one.
Joe’s brother, Jane (he’s a transgender) sees Joe’s FB account and is jealous. He creates a FB account in which he claims three Purple Hearts, the CMOH, and two Silver Stars. The following year, he, instead of Joe, is invited to the local high school, attired in military finery which is adorned with the aforementioned medals and ribbons. Jane declines the offer of lunch and no gift card is offered. The kids love Jane. He is sooooooo 2018. Jane has not violated the NM statute either.
Did Jane possess a CMOH?
Yes, these are Federal crimes, and many smart states modeled their statutes on on the Federal law. New Mexico could have but, for reasons unknown, chose not to do so but to go with this SV Lite bill. I don’t give them any credit. They had the pkg right there in front of their beady little eyes and turned their heads.
Not that it will matter anyway in this state. I live in NM, we have a hard time keeping car thieves and home invaders and many violent felons locked up. The fact that it even passed the round house, means dems supported it. Its just fluff for the upcoming election. Some dem in a moderate district might be able to sway some moderate rights to vote left, using the patriotic card. This state is mostly now being ran by left wing communist bleeding hearts. Since the economy dropped and we lost a huge amount of professional jobs, which would have swung more right. The majority of the state is very left now.
“Since the economy dropped and we lost a huge amount of professional jobs,”
I was born & raised in New Mexico…when did they get an economy?
Toss in a years exposure to TAH ridicule and I’m good with it.
And that’s really what we’re left with. The only time this will likely be prosecuted is off some LEO or prosecutor gets personally pissed off about some guy who never served begging for money while holding a worn cardboard sign reading, “Pleaz HElp Armee Vetran!”
I think good old exposure and public shaming are the best tools against SV.(hence this site among others!)
They should have to attend all VFW, Legion ect within a 100km radius to make public apologies. Perhaps some Memorial scrubbing Com service to top it off!
I think the $1000 fine is adequate in most cases where they aren’t ripping people off.
No phonies today? Maybe the law is already working.
The one thing that the bill does have going for it is its misrepresentation in the NM news. Phonies, being stupid, may shut down w/o knowing they would not be violating the law.
Personal gain would be like Dallassclown WITTGENFELD:
1. Sucking dick for a beer?
2. Getting it up the ass for $1.00 gift card?
3. FUNDME to find Bernastys dried up cock and balls?
ALSO CLAIMS:
AS the Purpleheart parachutist has donated more money to Wounded Warriors and other veterans run organizations to date..
AND everyone is going to be arrested because the FBI believes him although the shitstain is a convicted FELON..
WITTLESS….STFU