Juror Awards Father $2.9M In Westboro Baptist Church Funeral Protesters Case

Status
Not open for further replies.
According to Yahoo News, the settlement was 11 million.

And good for the father. Those people have to learn that they can't get away with their hate speech.
 
Seriously, as bad as it sounds to sue a church, they deserved it.The worst possible "evil" is dressed in clean white and flowery clothes. (If you know what I mean)
 
Wow, but the article didn't mention if the deceased was gay (which is crucial). Was he? And I agree, picketing someone's funeral is a horrible way to get your point across.
 
Angerman said:
Wow, but the article didn't mention if the deceased was gay (which is crucial). Was he? And I agree, picketing someone's funeral is a horrible way to get your point across.
Click to expand...

Why is that crucial? The Westboro people are against all soldiers because they're part of a government that isn't butchering gays. Who the soldiers are doesn't matter.
 
I can't help but think that this isn't over yet.

I really hope this ruling sticks, but I have the horrible feeling that it might get overturned on appeal. Quite a few of the Phelps clan just happen to be lawyers and they know their ways around the legal system. They'll fight this, I'm sure of it.
 
They need to charge the Phelps clan with hate crimes because that is the only way to stop them. I hope to God that Maryland Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps isn't related to these idiots.
Ben
 
darkpikachu02 said:
They need to charge the Phelps clan with hate crimes because that is the only way to stop them. I hope to God that Maryland Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps isn't related to these idiots.
Ben
Click to expand...

What crimes? They've protested. That's not a crime. If the KKK can march on Washington, then these guys can yell crap outside a cemetery.
 
Silverwynde said:
I can't help but think that this isn't over yet.

I really hope this ruling sticks, but I have the horrible feeling that it might get overturned on appeal. Quite a few of the Phelps clan just happen to be lawyers and they know their ways around the legal system. They'll fight this, I'm sure of it.
Click to expand...
Jack Thompson is a lawyer, but no one has ever taken him seriously. I mean, jeez, he trolls GamePolitics.com.

God, these people are pathetic wastes of space. I'm glad they got sued.
 
GrnMarvl13 said:
What crimes? They've protested. That's not a crime. If the KKK can march on Washington, then these guys can yell crap outside a cemetery.
Click to expand...

*sigh* I hate that you're right. ;)

But at the same time... at what point do you put your foot down and say "Enough!"? I can't help but wonder if our founding fathers who wrote the constitution even thought something like this would happen. Protesting at funerals in the name of Christ? That's abusing the constitution, even if it says it's ok. I don't think He wants that. These people bug me. Using Christianity, MY religion, and warping it into a hate parade... not to bring anymore religion into this, but I really do wonder what'll happen to kind Mr. Phelps once he hits the pearly gates. He has caused so much pain, so much anger. Gah. I was in a good mood a few minutes ago. ><
 
This wasn't a criminal suit, he sued them for emotional damages and such--no crime need be committed for his case to go through.

Furthermore, speech which could cause "imminent, lawless action" (Brandenburg) or is obscene in the eyes of the community (the Miller test) is not protected under the First Amendment. Free speech isn't absolute.
 
evkl said:
Furthermore, speech which could cause "imminent, lawless action" (Brandenburg) or is obscene in the eyes of the community (the Miller test) is not protected under the First Amendment. Free speech isn't absolute.
Click to expand...

Exactly. And I think the "obscene" reasoning is how states are effectively getting laws passed to prevent their protests. Though it's fun to hear about the droves of Vietnam Vets-turned-bikers parked outside of the cemetery, revving their engines to drown these guys out.
 
Lime said:
Jack Thompson is a lawyer, but no one has ever taken him seriously. I mean, jeez, he trolls GamePolitics.com.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, Jack Thompson never shot a dog, get sued by the dog's owner, defend himself and actually win. Phelps did. And no, I am not making this up.

This is from an exposé on the Phelps family (I warn you, it's a very disturbing read):

Aside from etching one of his children's earliest memories, shotgun-blasting the large German shepherd that had wandered into his unfenced yard quickly got the novice pastor notice in his community. The incident was discussed in the papers, and the dog's owner sued the arrogant minister. Fred defended himself and won, an action his son Mark believes may have encouraged his father's turn to the law.
Click to expand...

And remember, this was before he became a lawyer. He might be disbarred, but he and the rest of his ilk know their way around the law. I'm sure they will do whatever they can to tie this up in the courts and get out of paying.

God, these people are pathetic wastes of space. I'm glad they got sued.
Click to expand...

Makes two of us. I'd love nothing more than for Fred Phelps to just go away and freaking stay there. The "man" makes me sick to my stomach.
 
Here is the US Supreme Court case on hate speech:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplinsky_v._New_Hampshire

Quote from the case:
"There are certain well-defined and narrowly limited classes of speech, the prevention and punishment of which have never been thought to raise any constitutional problem. These include the lewd and obscene, the profane, the libelous, and the insulting or "fighting words" those which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace. It has been well observed that such utterances are no essential part of any exposition of ideas, and are of such slight social value as a step to truth that any benefit that may be derived from them is clearly outweighed by the social interest in order and morality."

This case established the Fighting Words Doctrine, a ruling on hate/fighting speech that is not protected by the First Amendment. This ruling could cause the Westboro Baptist Church some problems.
Ben
 
We may not respect the government with what they do, but we must respect our comrades that fight to attack, or to defend. But most importantly, to survive. Those that fall in action, or fall on active duty, must be given a sending off where their families can grieve in peace.

Men and women on active service, I salute you, as well as our forgotten heros, past, present and future.

I cannot see any way of justifying "actions of free speech" that involve picketing funerals.
 
That ruling's quite dated (being from 1942)--there are more modern and robust precedents which are better used against them. Still, a very interesting case...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom