Supreme Court strikes down Stolen Valor law (CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has struck down a federal law making it a crime to lie about having received the Medal of Honor and other prized military awards. The court voted 6-3 Thursday in favor of Xavier Alvarez, a former local elected official in California who falsely claimed he was a decorated war veteran. Alvarez had pleaded guilty to violating a 2006 law that was adopted with the nation at war in Afghanistan and Iraq and aimed at people making phony claims of heroism in battle. The court, in a judgment written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, ordered that his conviction be thrown out. Should lying about military medals be a crime? In 2007, Alvarez told an audience he'd been in the Marines for 25 years and received the Medal of Honor - a complete fabrication. Alvarez was charged and convicted under the Stolen Valor Act. In February, CBS News correspondent Chip Reid reported that Congress is already working on a replacement that would make it a crime if you lie about a military award for the purpose of earning a profit. And, Reid noted, any piece of legislation intended to protect military heroes flies through Congress. To see Chip Reid's report, click on the video at the left.