Westboro Church Plans Anti-Picketing Law Challenges in Wake of Supreme Court Victory

[WillowTree]

WASHINGTON - Emboldened by Wednesday's Supreme Court decision, Westboro Baptist Church attorney Margie Phelps said she will challenge statutes all over the country that restrict picketing at funerals.

The court decided 8-1, with Justice Samuel Alito dissenting, that the First Amendment protected Westboro and the Phelps family from the lawsuit brought by Albert Snyder. The Phelpses picketed the 2006 Westminster, Md., funeral of Snyder's son, causing him emotional distress.
Phelps said it was ironic that the case that allowed her to argue in front of the nation's highest court came out of Maryland.

FoxNews.com - Westboro Church Plans Anti-Picketing Law Challenges in Wake of Supreme Court Victory

 

[konradv]

WASHINGTON - Emboldened by Wednesday's Supreme Court decision, Westboro Baptist Church attorney Margie Phelps said she will challenge statutes all over the country that restrict picketing at funerals.

The court decided 8-1, with Justice Samuel Alito dissenting, that the First Amendment protected Westboro and the Phelps family from the lawsuit brought by Albert Snyder. The Phelpses picketed the 2006 Westminster, Md., funeral of Snyder's son, causing him emotional distress.
Phelps said it was ironic that the case that allowed her to argue in front of the nation's highest court came out of Maryland.

FoxNews.com - Westboro Church Plans Anti-Picketing Law Challenges in Wake of Supreme Court Victory

Hopefully that's where they lose. A major reason for the SC ruling was that there was no such law on the books in Maryland.

 

[signelect]

Westboro is not a church it is a CULT and they are crazy. One of these days we the people need to stand up for what is right. I heard their chants and they accused the dead solider of acts that were false and they had no evidence. It was not free speech but character assassination by innuendo. These people are sick and I still would like to know who is funding that operation.

 

[peach174]

They won't like it one bit when VFW Posts start to block them at every funeral.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Hate speech is protected as long as you are shitting on the fallen and thier families.

Try something like that in Watts, and see how the liberals scream hate speech shouldn't be protected.




gotta admire the families, they have far more discapline and honor than phelps and crew.

 

[konradv]

Hate speech is protected as long as you are shitting on the fallen and thier families.

Try something like that in Watts, and see how the liberals scream hate speech shouldn't be protected.

gotta admire the families, they have far more discapline and honor than phelps and crew.

What does this have to do with liberals? People from all sides have been saying the WBC are scumbags and people from both sides have said there are serious 1st Amendment concerns. The problem seems to me that too many are concerned about the whether speech will be banned, when the actual push should be to back it off further from events like funerals. It shouldn't be any problem for them to hold a rally on the other side of town, if they've got something to say.

 

[signelect]

two thumbs said it all. If I object to bad behavior I am a racist or anti something but let them attack me and I am just overly sensitive.

 

[konradv]

two thumbs said it all. If I object to bad behavior I am a racist or anti something but let them attack me and I am just overly sensitive.

You're both whiners. That isn't what this about at all.

 

[peach174]

Westboro is not a church it is a CULT and they are crazy. One of these days we the people need to stand up for what is right. I heard their chants and they accused the dead solider of acts that were false and they had no evidence. It was not free speech but character assassination by innuendo. These people are sick and I still would like to know who is funding that operation.

It's by the Phelps family. They are extremely rich. There are 14 children and 4 are lawyers. They are members of the church.

 

[spectrumc01]

I believe that everyone has the right to free speech no matter how offensive. I also have the opinion that you have the right to get punched in the nose for such offensive speech. Perhaps this westboro church needs to get some really offensive picketers aimed at them and their beliefs being that offensive free speech is a protected right.

 

[Father Time]

two thumbs said it all. If I object to bad behavior I am a racist or anti something but let them attack me and I am just overly sensitive.

No one has said anything like that. In case you haven't noticed everyone on every side thinks the WBC are disgusting.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

WASHINGTON - Emboldened by Wednesday's Supreme Court decision, Westboro Baptist Church attorney Margie Phelps said she will challenge statutes all over the country that restrict picketing at funerals.

The court decided 8-1, with Justice Samuel Alito dissenting, that the First Amendment protected Westboro and the Phelps family from the lawsuit brought by Albert Snyder. The Phelpses picketed the 2006 Westminster, Md., funeral of Snyder's son, causing him emotional distress.
Phelps said it was ironic that the case that allowed her to argue in front of the nation's highest court came out of Maryland.

FoxNews.com - Westboro Church Plans Anti-Picketing Law Challenges in Wake of Supreme Court Victory

Great idea, if nothing else the massive legal bills will bankrupt them.

 

[martybegan]

WASHINGTON - Emboldened by Wednesday's Supreme Court decision, Westboro Baptist Church attorney Margie Phelps said she will challenge statutes all over the country that restrict picketing at funerals.

The court decided 8-1, with Justice Samuel Alito dissenting, that the First Amendment protected Westboro and the Phelps family from the lawsuit brought by Albert Snyder. The Phelpses picketed the 2006 Westminster, Md., funeral of Snyder's son, causing him emotional distress.
Phelps said it was ironic that the case that allowed her to argue in front of the nation's highest court came out of Maryland.

FoxNews.com - Westboro Church Plans Anti-Picketing Law Challenges in Wake of Supreme Court Victory

Great idea, if nothing else the massive legal bills will bankrupt them.

I think like 1/3 or a 1/4 of his family are freaking lawyers, so they dont have to pay anyone to do all the legal work. Plus in any society you will find some people who will be willing to support this monetarily, so they are not going away any time soon.

I think thier cases against the laws will have a harder time than the case they just won. In the case won it was a question of a party being able to sue another for protesting (while following all the rules in place at the time). In the cases coming up it would be against the state for passing laws restricting where and when they can protest. The courts have often found reasonable reasons for municipalites regulating where and when speech can occur.

 

[nraforlife]

Simply amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For once the Supremes got the Constitution right. G_d Bless 'em even if this turns out to be just another stopped clock moment for them.

 

[Hamms Beer]

Maybe God really does hate fags!

 

[AVG-JOE]

Westboro is not a church it is a CULT and they are crazy. One of these days we the people need to stand up for what is right. I heard their chants and they accused the dead solider of acts that were false and they had no evidence. It was not free speech but character assassination by innuendo. These people are sick and I still would like to know who is funding that operation.

Is it still to early in our evolution to ask that the Worship Industry pay taxes like any other entertainment industry?

Just askin'...​

 

[Rat in the Hat]

Maybe God really does hate fags!

He hates Hillbilly Girls who take Solace in Free Candy more than he hates "fags".

 

[Quantum Windbag]

WASHINGTON - Emboldened by Wednesday's Supreme Court decision, Westboro Baptist Church attorney Margie Phelps said she will challenge statutes all over the country that restrict picketing at funerals.

The court decided 8-1, with Justice Samuel Alito dissenting, that the First Amendment protected Westboro and the Phelps family from the lawsuit brought by Albert Snyder. The Phelpses picketed the 2006 Westminster, Md., funeral of Snyder's son, causing him emotional distress.
Phelps said it was ironic that the case that allowed her to argue in front of the nation's highest court came out of Maryland.

FoxNews.com - Westboro Church Plans Anti-Picketing Law Challenges in Wake of Supreme Court Victory

Great idea, if nothing else the massive legal bills will bankrupt them.

I think like 1/3 or a 1/4 of his family are freaking lawyers, so they dont have to pay anyone to do all the legal work. Plus in any society you will find some people who will be willing to support this monetarily, so they are not going away any time soon.

I think thier cases against the laws will have a harder time than the case they just won. In the case won it was a question of a party being able to sue another for protesting (while following all the rules in place at the time). In the cases coming up it would be against the state for passing laws restricting where and when they can protest. The courts have often found reasonable reasons for municipalites regulating where and when speech can occur.

They still have to pay court costs, and courts can require the loser to pay court costs for the winner. That will add up pretty quick.

 

[The T]

They won't like it one bit when VFW Posts start to block them at every funeral.

I know that they hate it when these guys show up:


Patriot Guard Riders

 

[Care4all]

Westboro is not a church it is a CULT and they are crazy. One of these days we the people need to stand up for what is right. I heard their chants and they accused the dead solider of acts that were false and they had no evidence. It was not free speech but character assassination by innuendo. These people are sick and I still would like to know who is funding that operation.

Is it still to early in our evolution to ask that the Worship Industry pay taxes like any other entertainment industry?

Just askin'...​

if they don't make a profit, there is nothing to tax....

and it is unconstitutional for congress to legislate a tax law JUST FOR a church....

they do not pay federal income taxes, because they fall under tax laws for non-profits, is my understanding?