In the case of Charles Z. Stevens, III v. Department of the Treasury et al., 1990, Stevens was a former IRS agent who had been dismissed from his position for misconduct and subsequently sought to challenge this dismissal in court. The Supreme Court ruled that federal employees do not have a constitutional right to procedural due process when they are terminated for cause by their employer, as long as they are given an opportunity to contest their termination before an impartial adjudicator within the agency itself. This ruling effectively upheld Stevens' dismissal and established precedent regarding due process rights for federal employees facing disciplinary action or termination.

In the dissenting opinion for Charles Z. Stevens, III v. Department of the Treasury et al., 1990, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a federal law prohibiting individuals from wearing military medals they did not earn violated First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and expression. The dissenting justices contended that wearing unearned military decorations is a form of symbolic speech protected by the Constitution, even if it may be seen as offensive or disrespectful by some people. They also expressed concern about potential overreach in government regulation on personal conduct and questioned whether such laws could lead to further restrictions on individual liberties under the guise of protecting societal values or public interest.