THESE RELIGIOUS NUTS INSERTED THEMSELVES INTO A COMBAT MARINES' FUNERAL-HEARTLESS BASTARDS!
The father of a 20-year-old Marine who died fighting in Iraq has been ordered by the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to pay Fred Phelps' appeal costs.
On Friday the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered Albert Snyder of York, Pa., father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder to pay Westboro Baptist Church's leader Fred Phelps $16,510.
Westboro Baptist Church is known for anti-gay protests and movements.
In 2006, the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder was targeted by Westboro Baptist Church. Phelps and six members of church gathered to picket the solemn affair with signs that read "America is doomed," "Matt in hell" and "Semper Fi fags."
The family sued the group after Phelps used his website to criticize Snyder.
The family won the first round in a Maryland court against Westboro Baptist Church, being awarded $5 million on the grounds of intrusion into a secluded event, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy.
However, that award was overturned during appeal. The court ruled that the protesters were exercising their right of free speech.
Now, Snyder's family must pay the legal costs for Westboro Baptist Church.
Lawsuit against WBC – funeral pickets ruled protected speech
On March 10, 2006 WBC picketed the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder.[72][73][74] On June 5, 2006 the Snyder family sued[75] Fred Phelps, WBC, and unnamed others for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On October 31, 2007, WBC, Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, were found liable for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A federal jury awarded Mr. Snyder $2.9 million in compensatory damages, then later added a decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and an additional $2 million for causing emotional distress (A total of $10,900,000). The organization said it would not change its message because of the verdict.[76][77][78]
The lawsuit named Albert Snyder as the plaintiff and Fred W. Phelps, Sr.; Westboro Baptist Church, Inc.; Rebekah Phelps-Davis; and Shirley Phelps-Roper as defendants, alleging that they were responsible for publishing defamatory information about the Snyder family on the Internet, including statements that Albert and his wife had "raised [Matthew] for the devil" and taught him "to defy his Creator, to divorce, and to commit adultery." Other statements denounced them for raising their son Catholic. Snyder further complained the defendants had intruded upon and staged protests at his son's funeral. The claims of invasion of privacy and defamation arising from comments posted about Snyder on the Westboro website were dismissed on First Amendment grounds, but the case proceeded to trial on the remaining three counts.[79][80]
Albert Snyder, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, testified:
"They turned this funeral into a media circus and they wanted to hurt my family. They wanted their message heard and they didn't care who they stepped over. My son should have been buried with dignity, not with a bunch of clowns outside."[81]
In his instructions to the jury U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett stated that the First Amendment protection of free speech has limits, including vulgar, offensive and shocking statements, and that the jury must decide "whether the defendant's actions would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, whether they were extreme and outrageous and whether these actions were so offensive and shocking as to not be entitled to First Amendment protection."[82] See also Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, a case where certain personal slurs and obscene utterances by an individual were found unworthy of First Amendment protection, due to the potential for violence resulting from their utterance.
WBC is seeking a mistrial based on alleged prejudicial statements made by the judge and violations of the gag order by the plaintiff's attorney.[83] An appeal is also likely. WBC has said that it is thankful for the verdict.[84]
On February 4, 2008 U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett upheld the ruling but reduced the punitive damages from $8 million to $2.1 million. The total judgment now stands at $5 million. An appeal by WBC is still pending.[85] Liens have been ordered on church buildings and Phelps' law office in an attempt to ensure that the damages are paid.[86]
On September 24, 2009, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of Westboro Baptist Church. It found their picket near the funeral of Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder is protected speech and did not violate the privacy of the service member's family, reversing a lower court's $5 million award.[87] On 8 March 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in Snyder v. Phelps, (Docket No. 09-751, March 8, 2010).[88]
On Friday the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered Albert Snyder of York, Pa., father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder to pay Westboro Baptist Church's leader Fred Phelps $16,510.
Westboro Baptist Church is known for anti-gay protests and movements.
In 2006, the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder was targeted by Westboro Baptist Church. Phelps and six members of church gathered to picket the solemn affair with signs that read "America is doomed," "Matt in hell" and "Semper Fi fags."
The family sued the group after Phelps used his website to criticize Snyder.
The family won the first round in a Maryland court against Westboro Baptist Church, being awarded $5 million on the grounds of intrusion into a secluded event, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy.
However, that award was overturned during appeal. The court ruled that the protesters were exercising their right of free speech.
Now, Snyder's family must pay the legal costs for Westboro Baptist Church.
Lawsuit against WBC – funeral pickets ruled protected speech
On March 10, 2006 WBC picketed the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder.[72][73][74] On June 5, 2006 the Snyder family sued[75] Fred Phelps, WBC, and unnamed others for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On October 31, 2007, WBC, Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, were found liable for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A federal jury awarded Mr. Snyder $2.9 million in compensatory damages, then later added a decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and an additional $2 million for causing emotional distress (A total of $10,900,000). The organization said it would not change its message because of the verdict.[76][77][78]
The lawsuit named Albert Snyder as the plaintiff and Fred W. Phelps, Sr.; Westboro Baptist Church, Inc.; Rebekah Phelps-Davis; and Shirley Phelps-Roper as defendants, alleging that they were responsible for publishing defamatory information about the Snyder family on the Internet, including statements that Albert and his wife had "raised [Matthew] for the devil" and taught him "to defy his Creator, to divorce, and to commit adultery." Other statements denounced them for raising their son Catholic. Snyder further complained the defendants had intruded upon and staged protests at his son's funeral. The claims of invasion of privacy and defamation arising from comments posted about Snyder on the Westboro website were dismissed on First Amendment grounds, but the case proceeded to trial on the remaining three counts.[79][80]
Albert Snyder, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, testified:
"They turned this funeral into a media circus and they wanted to hurt my family. They wanted their message heard and they didn't care who they stepped over. My son should have been buried with dignity, not with a bunch of clowns outside."[81]
In his instructions to the jury U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett stated that the First Amendment protection of free speech has limits, including vulgar, offensive and shocking statements, and that the jury must decide "whether the defendant's actions would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, whether they were extreme and outrageous and whether these actions were so offensive and shocking as to not be entitled to First Amendment protection."[82] See also Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, a case where certain personal slurs and obscene utterances by an individual were found unworthy of First Amendment protection, due to the potential for violence resulting from their utterance.
WBC is seeking a mistrial based on alleged prejudicial statements made by the judge and violations of the gag order by the plaintiff's attorney.[83] An appeal is also likely. WBC has said that it is thankful for the verdict.[84]
On February 4, 2008 U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett upheld the ruling but reduced the punitive damages from $8 million to $2.1 million. The total judgment now stands at $5 million. An appeal by WBC is still pending.[85] Liens have been ordered on church buildings and Phelps' law office in an attempt to ensure that the damages are paid.[86]
On September 24, 2009, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of Westboro Baptist Church. It found their picket near the funeral of Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder is protected speech and did not violate the privacy of the service member's family, reversing a lower court's $5 million award.[87] On 8 March 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in Snyder v. Phelps, (Docket No. 09-751, March 8, 2010).[88]
No comments:
Post a Comment