The Bigsibling Blog

An update on the trial between Albert Snyder, father of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder who was killed in Iraq, and the Phelps cult. I posted about this a couple of days ago here.

The Kansas City Star’s online “Breaking News” section is reporting

Father of Marine awarded $2.9 million from Phelps family for anti-gay protest at funeral.

BALTIMORE — A federal jury delivered a $2.9 million verdictWednesday against the Phelps family of Topeka and their homophobe Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas church that picketed the funeral of a Maryland Marine killed in an auto accident in Iraq last year.

It is believed to be the first individual lawsuit against the Phelps, who are infamous for picketing military and other funerals around the country. They do not contend that the dead soldiers are gay, but that their deaths are punishment by an angry God against the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality.

A grieving father, Albert Snyder, sued for unspecified damages after members staged a demonstration at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder.

Family and church members, under the leadership of Fred Phelps, Sr., routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in
Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “God hates fags.”

Their actions have prompted several states to pass laws regarding funeral protests and Congress has passed a law prohibiting such protests at federal cemeteries.

My thoughts are “ding dong the witch is dead, the wicked witch is dead.” The church will probably not fold with on $2.9 million dollar lawsuit. But since Snyder was victorious, look for a plethora of other suits to follow. I’m thinking that this may finally be the end of the Phelps cult. They’ll have to sell their compound and I won’t be subjected to seeing that god-forsaken giant red and white banner which reads “www.godhatesamerica.com”, right next to their upside down flying Canadian flag, above their upside down flying American flag on my way to work.

Yee Haw!

UPDATE: 31 October, 2007 22:36

I just watched the local news, and they are reporting the judgement at $10.9 million. $2.9 million for compensatory damages, and $8 million for punitive damages. I don’t normally take pleasure in the suffering of others, but on this occasion, I will make an exception!

UPDATE: 1 November, 2007 09:31

I just had to add this picture, stolen borrowed from SoHos.

Secrent Identity? You never seen Fred Phelps and Rev. Kane in the same place at the same time do ya?

You can read more about the Phelps cult history here.

Technorati Tags: Phelps, Albert Snyder, Matthew Snyder, God Hates Fags, Lawsuit

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Fred Phelps was on the witness stand in a civil trial involving his cult. Phelps was asked if he had considered whether children would see a sign his cult members love to brandish. The sign reads “Semper Fi Fags” and contains the drawing of two stick figures appearing to engage in homosexual act.

“No, it’s an irrelevancy,” Phelps Said.
[U.S. District Judge] Bennet then interjected sharply.
“Just answer the question, sir. Don’t determine what’s relevant or not relevant. You just answer the question,” Bennet said.

Any takers on which side of this trial the judge is leaning towards? Phelps, the Al-Qeada loving ‘minister’ of the ficticiously named “Westboro Baptist Church” here in Topeka is the driving force behind several states, and even the feds, creating laws limiting the time and place of funeral protesters. The cult is being sued for unspecified damages for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.

Believe me, I’m all about the First Amendment and the right to free speech. I don’t agree with the “time and place” laws limiting where and when one is allowed to exercise their free speech rights. While I don’t agree with the Phelps cult’s message any more than I agree with the implementation Sharia Law, I do support their right to spread their message. It is the same right that gives the rest of the ability to counter the message, and spread our own messages, no matter how distasteful.

That being said, I believe this civil lawsuit is the way to go about reining in this bigoted cult. While people have a right to free speech, unhindered by the government, there is nothing that says their speech can’t cause them hardship in the civil arena. Now, since I’m still a few hours short of my law degree, I don’t know if that whole “invasion of privacy” thing will stick, but certain the “intent to inflict emotional distress” not only holds water, but holds gallons – perhaps hundreds of gallons – of it. The signs the Phelps cult uses to get their message across are designed for the express purpose of getting people angry. I think they are just laying in wait, hoping for the day when someone walks up and clocks one of them right in the kisser. They’d have a field day with that lawsuit.

I am holding out hope that this lawsuit will go badly for the Phelps cult. And that the jury awards the grieving Mr. Snyder enough coinage to force them to sell off their compound and hold their meetings in a trailer court.

source

You can read more about the Phelps Cult history here.

Technorati Tags: Phelps Cut, Westboro Baptist Church, Marines, Lance Cpl Snyder

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It seems the Phelps cult has gotten a court order to pay over $3000 clams to a Pennsylvania man for fees associated with a complaint filed by the man against the cult. 

The man, Ablert Snyder, is the father of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder who was killed while serving his country and defending the rights of these facists cultists in Iraq.  The Phelps cult picketed the slain heroes funeral as they do the funerals of many slain heroes.  But this time Mr. Snyder didn’t just take this affront lying down.  He filed a civil suit in federal court.

His father’s federal lawsuit, filed June 5, alleges church members
violated the family’s right to privacy and defamed the Marine and his
family at the funeral and on the church’s Web site.

Of course, the cult spokes-bitch says this won’t deter the cult from insulting the fallen brave at future funerals.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church spokeswoman, said Monday night that she
wasn’t aware of the court’s order but added that such actions wouldn’t
deter the church from future pickets.

She can say that all she wants, but with only family and a few brain-washed losers on the church roster, I can see that 10 or 20 of these kinds of orders could really put a damper on the cults finances.  And since I don’t believe anyone is going to pony up coinage for this insidious anti-American group of homo-bashing fascists, maybe a few more of these types of orders will deter the group.  We can only hope!

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Tech Tags: phelps cult lawsuit military funerals

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