GodHatesFags church owes a Marine's family $2.9mil
They just lost the lawsuit, and a judge awarded the deceased Marine's family 2.9mil for emotional damages, and invasion of privacy.
Ben
Here you go...
quote:BALTIMORE - A federal jury on Wednesday awarded the father of a fallen Marine $2.9 million in compensatory damages after finding a fundamentalist Kansas church and three of its leaders liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress for picketing the Marine's funeral in 2006.
The jury was to begin deliberating the size of punitive damages after receiving further instructions, although U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the compensatory award "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court.
Albert Snyder of York, Pa., sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified monetary damages after members staged a demonstration at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.
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.
Snyder's suit named the church, its founder the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46. The jury began deliberating Tuesday after two days of testimony.
The York, Pa. man 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 the deaths of soldiers are due to the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
Their attorneys argued in closing statements 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.
The judge said the church's financial statements, sealed earlier, could be released to the plaintiffs.
Earlier, church members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse, which is located on a busy thoroughfare a few blocks west of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, while passing motorists honked and shouted insults.
Church founder Fred Phelps held a sign reading "God is your enemy," while his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper stood on an American flag while carrying 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.
Ben
Here you go...
quote:BALTIMORE - A federal jury on Wednesday awarded the father of a fallen Marine $2.9 million in compensatory damages after finding a fundamentalist Kansas church and three of its leaders liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress for picketing the Marine's funeral in 2006.
The jury was to begin deliberating the size of punitive damages after receiving further instructions, although U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the compensatory award "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court.
Albert Snyder of York, Pa., sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified monetary damages after members staged a demonstration at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.
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.
Snyder's suit named the church, its founder the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46. The jury began deliberating Tuesday after two days of testimony.
The York, Pa. man 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 the deaths of soldiers are due to the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
Their attorneys argued in closing statements 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.
The judge said the church's financial statements, sealed earlier, could be released to the plaintiffs.
Earlier, church members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse, which is located on a busy thoroughfare a few blocks west of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, while passing motorists honked and shouted insults.
Church founder Fred Phelps held a sign reading "God is your enemy," while his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper stood on an American flag while carrying 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.
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Glad to hear it. 0 -
now all they have to do is find O.J. and find out how to avoid paying it 0 -
Best news I've heard all day......[:)][:)]
rider0 -
[:D][:D][:D][:)][;)] 0 -
It should have been more plus the death penalty on top of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 0 -
Law suit is a good start. But what we really need is a permanent cease and desist order. 0 -
Thats great! Hope that bitch rots in the fiery pits of hell. 0 -
2.9 compensatory, and they didn't even get into punitive?
Man, that was one righteously pissed jury!
When this case first came up, didn't somebody mention that these wackos (wackoes?) had already been sued a bunch of times, to no avail?0 -
getting 2.9 million from a fundamentalist church in Kansas will be a neat trick. Too bad. 0 -
Churches can and do get sued all the time...look at the Catholic Church losing zillions on sexual molestation suits.
IMO, this is great news. Maybe that'll shut'em up for good.
The KKK of America lost a lot of money and properties due to lawsuits.0 -
Good to see ol fred taking one up the azz........ 0 -
Now the judge has updated it to 11 million this afternoon. [:)][:)]
I hope this puts the freaks out of business......[}:)][}:)]
rider0 -
they should owe all the other family funnerals they went to, too. put that church out of business!!!!! 0 -
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.
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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.0 -
The Bitches are already saying you can't stop them, Jail and fine them and throw away the key. I saw the sorry Bturds in Topeka with their signs and several were just kids with no clue what they were doing. 0 -
They will never collect,.....but I am glad to see these inbred "hicks" taken to task.
Maybe it will change what they have been doing.
They deserve to rot for what they have done, IMHO.[xx(]0 -
quote:Originally posted by fshfndr
The Bitches are already saying you can't stop them, Jail and fine them and throw away the key. I saw the sorry Bturds in Topeka with their signs and several were just kids with no clue what they were doing.
Well now...........
I would not mind spending just a couple of minutes in a closet with all of them, one at a time for a butt thumping that would change their perspective for a long time to come.
Now keep in mind that this country is all about freedom of speech, freedom of religion, Second Amendment, etc.
Sure don't see things their way at all.0 -
They got what they deserved. I'm just sorry that the family had to go through all that. Now I guess that church is really a "Not For Profit" org since all their money (in theory!) goes the the family. Gald to see the system still works once in a while[:D] 0 -
Bretheren we willa nowa passa the collection pate-ah around. Pleezuh, give-ah unselfeshahlee.[:D] 0 -
Since they don't have the cash to pay that said amount could the father of the Marine repo the church building as a partial payment? If he could he should turn that "church" in to a gay bar (just to rub their higher than thou's noses). 0 -
Well I saw a BBC show about them...I guess they actually just a single family, and they live in this house in this suburb, and tore down all the fences around them, saying that its better to share the yard with neighbors...wonder what the neighbors think about that... 0 -
Glad to see the verdict, even if it probably is symbolic. Thought this might come to a stop when they were protesting at the funeral for coal miners in West Virginia. Those folks have a LOT of abandoned mine shafts around there. DEEP mines shafts. REAL deep.[}:)] 0 -
They are media w h o r e s.
Hit them in the pocketbook....seems to be where they live.
Now, the "Rev." Phelps is saying they don't have to pay unless the Fed. Government sez they have to.
Likely the reason for those "tighlipped smiles" beforementioned....0 -
As a conservative, and a Christian, these guys tick me off more than a roomful of Achmadinejads. They are not a church, and they are dang sure not part of Christ's Church. I take comfort in knowing they'll be in DEEP DOO-DOO someday. Can't live forever. Will have some serious explaining to do to THE BOSS. 0 -
I was at that funeral with the PGR. They were there but was only about 7 of em. There were over 200 bikers there I think and they did a great job of blocking the views of the family to keep them from seeing the protesters (who were cordoned off across the street.)
I feel for the guy, I really do. But I seriously don't see 11 million dollars worth of damage. Wow.
I'm glad he won his case. Mrs_Rogue pledged them 50 bucks to their legal fund, then a week later, they win 11 million. lol Wonder if we'll get a refund haha0 -
Guys,
First off I am very happy for how this worked out and in no way do I agree with what the members of this church have done, in fact it sickens me. But just to stir the pot and get a debate out of this, was there protesting/picketing funerals freedom of speech?0 -
Now if only the IRS would take away their tax exempt status 0 -
I'd make sure to show up at their church and "collect" the offering every Sunday. 0 -
I remember the "Reverend" Phelps calling into a talk radio show on WLW (700 AM) here in the listening area of Cincinnati. At the time (not long after 9-11) he was praised by the talk show host and a number of listeners for finally stepping up to the plate and doing the work God wanted done. Obviously, at the time, his stated plan was merely to lash out at homosexuals, which was fine by the host of the show and his audience. My thinking was roughly, "Great. Just what the country needs -- more people advocating hate and violence in the name of God."
In case anyone thinks to question why I was listening, since I have a fairly negative opinion of this particular venue -- "morbid fascination" might describe it. I actually did switch the program off, but then decided I needed to hear just how crazy this guy actually was. I read Maureen Dowd, Tom Teepen, and Nicholas Kristof for pretty much the same reason.
SARCASM ALERT: the following should not be taken (too) seriously.
There should be a once-a-year "eat your words" day decreed for both TV and radio talk show hosts, as well as newspaper commentators, on which day not only the past year's foot-in-mouth demonstrations but similar displays from further back, if relevant, would be raised from the dead to haunt these people. I doubt it would change the style of very many, since the worst offenders operate with no noticeable sense of shame or discretion whatsoever.0 -
quote:Originally posted by mongrel1776
There should be a once-a-year "eat your words" day decreed for both TV and radio talk show hosts...
Around here, we call it "Tuesday"
Ya don't broadcast to the town in which you were raised without having to dine on your own words once in a while.
Especially since, in my youth, I was a flaming liberal. As I've grown older and become redder around the neck, I've had to tell folks that yes, I did feel at the time that Jimmy Carter would make a fine president and no, I don't feel that way now.
Some people love to play "GOTCHA!", but I remind them that, as sure as they outgrew diapers, I outgrew my leftward tilt.
Screw 'em if they think ya can't learn and grow.
As for Fred Phelps...
I hope he gets a whole lot less publicity from now on.0
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