DiscussMormonism.com

Jury Awards Father $2.9M in Funeral Case
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ,AP
Posted: 2007-10-31 16:54:47
BALTIMORE (AP) - A grieving father won a $2.9 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.

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. The jury was to deliberate later on punitive damages.

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.

As much as I don't like those peeps at WBC, I think almost $3 million is a little much.

Good for them!!
I hope they are able to keep those hate mongers bankrupt to their dying day.

As a Marylander, if it keeps those creeps out of our state I am more than delighted.

Three million is NOT enough...Phelps (but not his kids, they've just been raised by a fuck-head Dad, afterall) should rot in the lowest pit of hell throughout eternity.

I've seen his hate up close and personal at a local demonstration I was part of the counter-picketing for. Like looking into the abyss...

My wife cried freedom of speach about this, but I don't think their freedom of speech is being oppressed here. They have the right to go out and do this wherever they want to do it, BUT it will cost them to do so. These people wanted nothing more than to capture the nation's attention, and all this publicity came at a huge cost to them. Can't say I feel sorry, though. If God is killing the nation's men because he hates homosexuality, maybe God allowed them to be sued because he hates their tactics...

Its close to $11 million now....

On Wednesday, the jury ordered the church and three of its leaders to pay $2.9m in compensatory damages, and an additional $8m for invasion of privacy and for causing emotional distress.

This story was covered on local television last night (here in Utah) and it appears Phelps and family held one of their hatefests at a soldier's funeral here recently, too. Turns out that poor young man was a relative of mine. Not that I didn't take the WBC's hatemongering personally before...