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One of the issues the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court had to grapple with Wednesday during oral arguments in the Stolen Valor Act case U.S. v. Alvarez was whether the act of lying harms someone.

The justices considered lying in various contexts outside the one at issue in the case, which involved a man who repeatedly said he was a decorated war veteran when he wasn鈥檛.

But Justice Sonia Sotomayor considered the harm that might be inflicted by another type of fib.

When someone claims to have 鈥渁n honor they didn鈥檛 receive, 鈥� outside of the emotional reaction, where鈥檚 the harm?鈥� Sotomayor began. 聽鈥淎nd I鈥檓 not minimizing it. I too take offense when people make these kinds of claims, but I take offense when someone I鈥檓 dating makes a claim that鈥檚 not true.鈥�

The comment drew laughter from the crowd. Later in the argument, the justice returned to the theme.

鈥淥n a date,鈥� the justice said, a lie could 鈥渋nduce a young woman to date someone who she thinks is more of a professional,鈥� and that could also 鈥渉arm the parents [and] the family.鈥�