Funeral protesters get sued

[wooflepoof]

BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality. Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania, sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.

The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.

U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court.

Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags."

A number of states have passed laws regarding funeral protests, and Congress has passed a law prohibiting such protests at federal cemeteries.

But the Maryland lawsuit is believed to be the first filed by the family of a fallen serviceman.

The church and three of its leaders -- the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46 -- were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.

Snyder claimed the protests intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event.

The church members testified they are following their religious beliefs by spreading the message that the deaths of soldiers are due to the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Their attorneys argued in closing statements Tuesday that the burial was a public event and that even abhorrent points of view are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.

The judge said the church's financial statements, sealed earlier, could be released to the plaintiffs.

Earlier, church members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse.

Church founder Fred Phelps held a sign reading "God is your enemy," while Shirley Phelps-Roper stood on an American flag and carried a sign that read "God hates fag enablers."

Members of the group sang "God Hates America" to the tune of "God Bless America."

Snyder sobbed when he heard the verdict, while members of the church greeted the news with tightlipped smiles

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/10/31....ap/index.html

Im absolutely infuriated right now

[jayhawk]

Sick people, that is for sure. I am very ashamed that I bow my head to the same God and savior as them, and that people like them give ammunition and countering arguments to atheists.

[bartboy9891]

I'm sure this family/group was mentioned before on this forum. They are known as "the most hated family in America". I'm glad someone is taking some action against them.

[American TG Man]

Pray for God to exact his vengeance on those fags in the form of a tornado striking their church. (It is Kansas, after all.)

[Cobol74]

Its called Freedom of Speach, if you have it you can't pick and choose to whom you give this right and the US should be congratulated that they have a society where even nutters like these can protest. On the other hand they are provoking a breach of the peace. ...

[zenkidori]

it's really only a matter of time before someone tosses a molotov into their home or riddles it with bullets.

[Cobol74]

Yes, that what I think too.

[Firecat]

I don't see this as a freedom of speech issue, but rather an invasion of privacy issue. That said, the awarded amount seems rather excessive.

[epp_b]

There is a time and a place to practice free speech, and some are simply in bad taste.

[No Boss]

Originally Posted by bartboy9891

I'm sure this family/group was mentioned before on this forum. They are known as "the most hated family in America". I'm glad someone is taking some action against them.

Yeah I posted them in the "Human Garbage" thread and posted the Louis Theroux documentary in the videos forum. Really an awesome piece of film about a really not awesome family.

Originally Posted by Cobol74

Its called Freedom of Speach, if you have it you can't pick and choose to whom you give this right and the US should be congratulated that they have a society where even nutters like these can protest. On the other hand they are provoking a breach of the peace. ...

See:

Originally Posted by epp_b

There is a time and a place to practice free speech, and some are simply in bad taste.

Epp got it. Once a family goes as far as they have, it no long becomes an issue of free speech but an issue of human respect.

[Twerp128]

I hate these people very much. They were in my area protesting and the cops just loaded 'em up into a few squad cars and took them away.

But, 11 million dollars! The protesters were the best thing that ever happened to that family. Retire early, but a nice house, and some very very fast cars.

[wooflepoof]

Originally Posted by Twerp128

I hate these people very much. They were in my area protesting and the cops just loaded 'em up into a few squad cars and took them away.

But, 11 million dollars! The protesters were the best thing that ever happened to that family. Retire early, but a nice house, and some very very fast cars.

Wow, they just lost their son. Pretty sure no amount of money could fill that gap. What your basically saying is that matrial things to them would be more important than having their son with them to have thanksgiving dinner or celebrate Christmas, etc.

[jeffy777]

Originally Posted by jayhawk

Sick people, that is for sure. I am very ashamed that I bow my head to the same God and savior as them, and that people like them give ammunition and countering arguments to atheists.

My thoughts exactly.

[tigger]

Originally Posted by Firecat

I don't see this as a freedom of speech issue, but rather an invasion of privacy issue. That said, the awarded amount seems rather excessive.

It is an invasion of privacy, and I'm elated that a jury finally saw it that way. Phelps (iirc he is a lawyer) has kept his church in the black by winning counter-suits. I really cannot put into words how happy this verdict makes me; excessive or not. There are 2 pastors in my family (Methodists); I've been hearing about this guy for a very long time. I can only hope that this verdict will in some way shut him up, he's far from Christian and the fact that he's a "pastor" makes me sick.

[zenkidori]

Originally Posted by Twerp128

I hate these people very much. They were in my area protesting and the cops just loaded 'em up into a few squad cars and took them away.

But, 11 million dollars! The protesters were the best thing that ever happened to that family. Retire early, but a nice house, and some very very fast cars.

are you dumb? do you think they will ever see close to that amount?

yeah, losing a son is TOTALLY worth 11 million dollars, that you will never see. great post there

[Twerp128]

Originally Posted by wooflepoof

Wow, they just lost their son. Pretty sure no amount of money could fill that gap. What your basically saying is that matrial things to them would be more important than having their son with them to have thanksgiving dinner or celebrate Christmas, etc.

We'll In my defense they had already lost their son, the protests happened after the fact.

Originally Posted by zenkidori

are you dumb? do you think they will ever see close to that amount?

yeah, losing a son is TOTALLY worth 11 million dollars, that you will never see. great post there

I don't know, I guess if it's a sort of independent church you may not. But I know the big churches have the cash to cover it, but then again if you were a big church you could hire a lawyer so as not to get sued for 11 million dollars.

[tigger]

Originally Posted by Twerp128

I don't know, I guess if it's a sort of independent church you may not. But I know the big churches have the cash to cover it, but then again if you were a big church you could hire a lawyer so as not to get sued for 11 million dollars.

Afaik the Baptist church proper has nothing to do with Phelps. Hopefully he'll be forced to declare bankruptcy and lose his "church" in the process. Phelps is a lawyer, (actually did some good going against the "Jim Crow" laws in in the '60s ), but he was disbarred in Kansas in '79 for perjury and quit practicing in the Federal courts 10 years later after receiving complaints from judges. That's how he's gotten away with this crap for so long now, he knows the law and it's loopholes. But he finally tripped up and now he's got to pay up. I'd be surprised if the family ever sees dollar one (not that any amount of money can replace a son), but I think that knowing they dealt a blow to this bastard will help.

[No Boss]

Originally Posted by Twerp128

We'll In my defense they had already lost their son, the protests happened after the fact.

These protests have been going on a long time before these people lost their son.

Originally Posted by Twerp128

I don't know, I guess if it's a sort of independent church you may not. But I know the big churches have the cash to cover it, but then again if you were a big church you could hire a lawyer so as not to get sued for 11 million dollars.

The WBC has something less than 200 members TOTAL, half of which are Phelps' immediate family. In the article, and every article I've seen regarding this suit, it said that the WBC didn't even have enough assets to cover the original $2.9m sum ordered in the first place.

Odds are this will get appealed and sent to high levels and they will never pay the money. Now, I don't necessarily have the deepest faith in any god, but I sure am hoping these people are forced into the worst "god" can give them.

/When Phelps dies... I'd consider flying out to protest his funeral.