Marine Father ordered to pay Fred Phelps court fees

[Seenterman]

Damn I hate these people.

Marine's dad ordered to pay protesters' court fees

The Associated Press

BALTIMORE - The father of a Marine killed in Iraq and whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters from Kansas was ordered to pay the protesters' appeal costs, his lawyers said Monday.

On Friday, Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered Snyder to pay $16,510 to Fred Phelps. Phelps is the leader of Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church, which conducted protests at Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder's funeral in 2006.

The two-page decision supplied by attorneys for Albert Snyder of York, Pa., offered no details on how the court came to its decision.

Attorneys also said Snyder is struggling to come up with fees associated with filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court.

The decision adds "insult to injury," said Sean Summers, one of Snyder's lawyers.

The high court agreed to consider whether the protesters' message is protected by the First Amendment or limited by the competing privacy and religious rights of the mourners.

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/03/29/1246609/marines-dad-ordered-to-pay-protesters.html#ixzz0jgF1j78W

Why is the father of the Marine who's funeral they protested being ordered to pay their court fees? I thought this case was over and the father had won the suit, what happened? Yes I know its a bad article, not much information; only enough to get your blood boiling.

One commentor on the site had a very good point, What if I stood outside the NAACP all day screaming "God hates N-words" all "N-words are going to hell". Wouldn't that be harassment and possibly a hate crime? Heck wasn't a 16 year old kid arrested for asking "All black people to leave" at walmart not more than a month ago?

Then why is it legal to protest a funeral and shout even more insulting things to the grieving families of a fallen soldier?  There is no legitimate reason to protest a funeral, I believe in the 1st just as strongly as all of you but this has nothing to do with peaceful assemble or petitioning the government hence it shouldn't fall under Constitution protection. Heck I have no problem with the KKK being given parade permits but this is just wrong. Its not censorship its harassment.

Al Snyder (the Marines father) has a web page with a legal defense fund which I encourage everyone to drop a few bucks into.

http://www.matthewsnyder.org/

[roo_ster]

[Henry_II]"Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?"[/Henry_II]

I jest, I jest.  Phelps is just part of the wonderful mosaic of American diversity.(0)

Especially since he is a Democrat, has received awards form the NAACP, and was a supporter of Al Gore (as was courted by Al gore).






(0) Anyone have an anti-nausea med?  I could use one after writing that.

[Jim147]

(0) Anyone have an anti-nausea med?  I could use one after writing that

.

Some Diphenhydramine HCL might help. But I doubt it.

I enjoyed standing back quietly and watching his group get laughed at and mocked Saturday night.

You can find Phelps daughter on twitter if you ever need someone to chat with.

jim

[280plus]

Yup, this sure is one weird planet...   

[Jim147]

A little more to the story.

RELATED STORIES
Poll: Privacy vs. pickets
His $5M verdict overturned, dad of deceased Marine now owes Phelps

   | EMAIL | PRINT  | COMMENT  | SHARE
BY PHIL ANDERSON
Created March 29, 2010 at 3:17pm
Updated March 29, 2010 at 9:50pm
Only a few months before both sides square off in the U.S. Supreme Court, the father of a slain Marine has been ordered to pay legal costs for a Topeka-based church after the $5 million judgment he won from the congregation in 2007 was overturned on appeal.

Albert Snyder, the father of a Marine who was killed in March 2006 in Iraq, learned late last week that he had been ordered to pay legal costs for Westboro Baptist Church in connection with a lawsuit he brought against the congregation after some of its members picketed his son's funeral in March 2006 in Westminster, Md.

Late Friday, Snyder learned he would be liable to pay the legal costs of the appeal by the Westboro church and the Phelpses in the amount of $16,500, said his attorney, Sean E. Summers, of York, Pa., in a phone interview late Monday night.

"We've been talking all day and all night," Summers said of himself and Snyder. "He is disappointed. It's kind of like rubbing his nose in it."

Members of the Westboro church have gained national and worldwide attention for their anti-homosexual protests, including at soldiers' funerals.

Some of the signs held by protesters include statements such as "America is Doomed," "God Hates the USA," "Thank God for 9/11" and "Thank God for IEDs," a reference to roadside bombs that have killed many U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The church maintains American war deaths are God's punishment for the nation's acceptance of homosexuality.

In 2007, Snyder sued Westboro Baptist Church Pastor Fred W. Phelps and two of his daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebekah Phelps-Davis, for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress after their protest at the funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who died in March 2006 when his Humvee overturned.

In November 2007, a federal court jury in Baltimore awarded Snyder about $11 million, but subsequent court action reduced that amount to $5 million.

In September, the decision to award Snyder $5 million was thrown out on appeal by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., which has jurisdiction in Maryland. A three-judge panel ruled that protest signs carried by church members in March 2006 were protected by the First Amendment.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider whether the Westboro church protesters' messages, no matter how provocative or upsetting, are protected by the First Amendment, or if they are limited by the competing privacy and religious rights of mourners. The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up the case in the fall.

The justices also will hear an appeal from Snyder to reinstate the $5 million verdict against the protesters.

Summers said Snyder, who is struggling to come up with the fees associated with filing the brief with the high court, is accepting donations for his legal costs at www.matthewsnyder.org.

"Right now, we're actually seeking donations," Summers said. "We've had a lot of people ask if they could help. We get more outpouring of support from Kansas than from any of the other 50 states."

Phelps-Roper said Monday night the ruling by 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., was merely an outcome of the law being upheld, and a sign that First Amendment rights were still protected.

Of the lawsuit brought against Westboro Baptist Church and its members in 2007, she said, "This was an experiment, because they thought they could get the judicial branch of this government to thumb its nose at the Constitution, just as the legislative and executive branches have done. But it didn't work."

She added, "The significance is at least through the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, the First Amendment is intact. If you're going to experiment with such things, it might cost you."

http://cjonline.com/news/state/2010-03-29/marine_dad_must_pay_phelps_fees

jim

[zxcvbob]

Sometimes you just gotta tell the federal judge "F.U." 

[Balog]

I'm always surprised the Phelps clan hasn't had any "unfortunate accidents." Not suggesting they should, just surprised they haven't...

[Dannyboy]

Updated.

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/03/american-legion-picks-up-tab-for-lawyers-in-phelps-case.html#trackback

[Firethorn]

Updated.

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/03/american-legion-picks-up-tab-for-lawyers-in-phelps-case.html#trackback

That's good, I was starting to look for a donate button...

[Brad Johnson]

Just hit Fox News that he has pretty much said they can shove it.  He's not paying a cent unless it goes all the way to the top and SCOTUS tells him to ante up.  Given the groups and emotions involved I can easily see this one getting ugly.

Brad

[roo_ster]

Updated.

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/03/american-legion-picks-up-tab-for-lawyers-in-phelps-case.html#trackback

Thank you for posting that link.

I was looking for a way to stick it to the Phelps creature, the opportunity was too enticing too resist.

[kgbsquirrel]

That's good, I was starting to look for a donate button...

Same here. Glad to see the vet orgs backing up the father.

[sanglant]

Just hit Fox News that he has pretty much said they can shove it.  He's not paying a cent unless it goes all the way to the top and SCOTUS tells him to ante up.  Given the groups and emotions involved I can easily see this one getting ugly.

Brad

can't say that i blame him, i might even offer to pay for some jail time for them. (not that it would do any good.)

[AJ Dual]

I'm always surprised the Phelps clan hasn't had any "unfortunate accidents." Not suggesting they should, just surprised they haven't...

I'm not. Their modus operandi makes it so blatantly clear they ARE begging for it. And they wear that on their sleeve so prominently that even the most (justifiably) offended seem to get the idea to not give them what they want.

I suspect they're even actively hoping to get their kids hurt.

[gunsmith]

free speech is important, I feel we make a big mistake by playing their game ( going to court )
its quite clear they get all their funding from winning Court cases and lawsuits.

imao, they just need to suffer the consequences of their speech. they should be forced by municipalities to pay for the police protection they get.

The only way to stop them is by not protecting them from the people they torment. If they cant pay police overtime, they shouldn't get police protection.

If they cant afford 24/7 police protection? oh well, maybe stop tormenting people.

[wmenorr67]

I am just trying to figure out why he should have to pay for them to appeal the decision.  It isn't like he asked for them to appeal.  If you don't have the money up front you shouldn't be able to play the game.  Like I saw on another comment about this story is at least one good thing came out of this jerk Phelps, The Patroit Guard Riders.

[Perd Hapley]

Just hit Fox News that he has pretty much said they can shove it.  He's not paying a cent unless it goes all the way to the top and SCOTUS tells him to ante up.  Given the groups and emotions involved I can easily see this one getting ugly.

Brad

There is a certain anti-abortion activist, can't remember the name, who refused to pay the court costs in a suit with a pro-abortion group.  I believe his solution was simply to divest himself of all property.  His wife owns everything. 

[Hawkmoon]

There is no Constitutional right to interfere with a soldier's funeral and harass the survivors. The 1st Amendment says that "the Congress" shall not enact any law infringing the freedom of speech. That in no way guarantees anyone the right to insinuate oneself into a family's time of mourning. The appeals judge clearly (IMHO) blew it. The purpose of the 1st Amendment was to prevent the government from punishing people for voicing opposition to government policies. It was never intended as a blanket permission for people to get in other people's faces.

[alex_trebek]

In addition to Hawk, I would like to point out that the first amendment protects the family's right to practice religion. A funeral certainly qualifies as a religious ceremony, albeit a solemn one.

Wouldn't proetsters violate the family's first amendment rights by not being respectful of/interferring with the funeral?

What does protesting a military funeral have to do with Americas acceptance of homosexuality?

[mellestad]

If anyone finds any actual details about the case, I would love to see them.  I don't have enough information to be outraged yet :)

Although if I had to guess it would boil down to, "Phelps sucks".

[Leatherneck]

Unfortunately, phelps and his scumbags have been found in court to have the right to do what they do. We test our belief in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights particularly by allowing vermin such as these to speak their opinion. But this has now gone way beyond a simple voicing of unpopular opinion, and into the uncharted territory of incitement to violence.

Don't forget that during the Revolutionary era when the BOR was born, dueling was accepted. Would that THAT custom was revived!

TC

[Perd Hapley]

We test our belief in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights particularly by allowing vermin such as these to speak their opinion.

Well, sure, but someplace other than a funeral. 

[Waitone]

At some point civil disobedience will be considered as a method of dealing with tyranny.

[Leatherneck]

Well, maybe, Fisty. But if not there and then, where and when?

TC

[Perd Hapley]

Well, maybe, Fisty. But if not there and then, where and when?

Seriously?