Rev. Fred Phelps slammed with $11m verdict

[greysfang]

Jury awards father $11M in funeral case
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ, Associated Press Writer 27 minutes ago


BALTIMORE - A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals out of a belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Albert Snyder of York, Pa., 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 in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.

Snyder's attorney, Craig Trebilcock, had urged jurors to determine an amount "that says don't do this in Maryland again. Do not bring your circus of hate to Maryland again."

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.

Even the size of the award for compensating damages "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court, U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted.
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 soldiers are dying because the nation is too tolerant of homosexuality.

Their attorneys maintained in closing arguments 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.

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.

Ahhh, sweet justice at last!

[Sojiita]

[Mira]

Awesome! Some people just won't accept that free speech does have boundaries and lines that shouldn't be crossed.

[pacific breeze]

Of course he'll never pay up, but oh, does it look good on him.

[VenusInFauxFurs]

Suck it up.

[Just Kill Me]

This is not a free speech case; that attorney's statement is like taking a dump on the first ammendment. It was funeral... but then this could turn into family members suing each other because a crazy uncle got drunk and ruined everything or something... oh hell...

[buttmunch]

This is just the beginning. Wait until they bring him up n charges in Sweden...the Swedes don't fuck around when it comes to this sort of stuff. The end o of this asshole and about time.

[xavier_moon]

This is just the beginning. Wait until they bring him up n charges in Sweden...the Swedes don't fuck around when it comes to this sort of stuff. The end o of this asshole and about time.

Hey there...newbie here...what did they do in Sweden?

It's amazing how much hate this group spews. I saw a documentary on the whole family by a Brit and it was sad as well as bone chilling. Sad to say, I don't think the father will see any money.

[buttmunch]

He said the reason so many Swedes died in teh tsunami was because of their liberal ideas about gays, etc. He also got involved with a church leader on the gay issue and got the shit smackedout of him. If he brings his brand of hate any further into Sweden, whether it's the internet or whatever, they're waiting for him.

One thing to remember about Sweden: you can get away with murder but you'll never get away with avoiding taxes or being un-PC. Swedes are all about diversity and inclusion and it behooves everyone to remember that.