U.S. v. Hancock

Defendant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The district court also found that defendant was subject to a sentence enhancement because at the time he possessed the firearm he impersonated a law enforcement officer. Defendant appealed, challenging the sentencing enhancement. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that the evidence supported the district court’s findings that defendant represented himself to be a police officer by wearing law enforcement paraphernalia and that the law was a permissible regulation of false speech because it was narrowly tailored to serve the government’s compelling interest in public safety. (EASTERBROOK and BRENNAN, concurring)