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Funeral protesters to be sued for emotional harm
Carroll County Times ^ | 6/4/06 | Isaac Baker

Posted on 06/04/2006 4:22:58 AM PDT by Elkiejg

The father of a Westminster Marine killed in Iraq is planning to file a civil lawsuit against a religious extremist group that picketed at his son's funeral.

The suit, to be filed in the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Monday morning, will claim the protesters intentionally disrupted the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder in March and inflicted emotional harm on the family, according to Sean Summers, a York, Pa.-based lawyer involved in the case.

Albert Snyder will be suing the Rev. Fred Phelps and unnamed members of his Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, Summers said Friday.

Members of the church picketed outside of St. John Catholic Church during Snyder's funeral service, displaying signs that read "Thank God for dead soldiers," and "Semper Fi Fags." The group claims the death of Snyder and other U.S. troops is God's retribution for what it calls America's tolerance of homosexual activity.

Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder died in a noncombat vehicle accident in the Al Anbar province of Iraq on March 3.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: fallen; fredphelps; lawsuit; militaryfamilies; pennsylvania; phelps
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To: jmq

Being a pain in the ass has been a lifelong career for him, hasn't it?


21 posted on 06/04/2006 7:04:13 AM PDT by digger48
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To: digger48

The sad thing is he gets way too much press to feed that deranged ego of his to further his misguided beliefs.......


22 posted on 06/04/2006 7:09:31 AM PDT by jmq (Islam=Religion of Peace)
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To: jmq

There was an article about Phelps and his family/followers in the Tulsa World this morning.

This nutjob Fred Phelps is the whacko's whacko. His picture in the paper is scary. He looks like what he is, a demented, frenzied old goat screaming at his equally demented followers.

It's easy to picture him with red glowng eyes, directing his swarm out from Topeka like a hive of killer bees, ready to take down anything he points them at. Hard to imagine that that cult leader in Utah that's been charged with multiple crimes could be more dangerous than Phelps.


23 posted on 06/04/2006 7:15:55 AM PDT by JustaCowgirl
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To: kanawa

That has been my opinion for quite some time. They want somebody to beat the daylights out of them and then they will file suit and will be all over the tube, which is, in my opinion, what they want anyway.

One of their females was on Hannity and Colmes and even Alan got bent out of shape talking to her. If she can piss off alan colmes, she is a real piece of work.


24 posted on 06/04/2006 7:21:35 AM PDT by cajun-jack
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To: Elkiejg
 
Fred Phelps ia disbarred civil rights lawyer. His friend : Al Gore. 
 
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Phelps

25 posted on 06/04/2006 7:45:57 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: Elkiejg; 91B; HiJinx; Spiff; MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; clintonh8r; TEXOKIE; windchime; ...

This could get interesting


26 posted on 06/04/2006 7:47:14 AM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: jmq

I'm curious if there is actually a law against "inflicting emotional harm" and, if so, what is the penalty / remedy if found guilty.


27 posted on 06/04/2006 8:26:53 AM PDT by RedRover
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To: RedRover
Most states allow for civil action for the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress. The problem you have is a strong defense based on the 1st amendment. All speech is not protected. Prior restraint is frowned upon, however after-the-fact speech is actionable by way of tort remedies. The damages would have to be quantified by way of outrageous conduct with a Dr. based evaluation of the complainant, sleep, nightmares, emotional change for the worse. The Phelps could be bled dry with lawsuits considering their outrageous conduct at the funerals. It is very doubtful they would go down easy and would frivolously counter-sue would be my guess. Someone with deep pockets and a moral penchant for good vs evil would have to go up against this perversion of humanity.The Phelps have become somewhat judgment proof in that Phelps has judgments that have never been satisfied, i.e. no attachable bank accounts. A debtor's exam in a District Court would subject an individual to potential penalties of perjury or civil contempt if they didn't disclose truthfully their assets I think that Phelps' behavior has had a much better reaction of a galvanizing force, bikers, marines etc.
28 posted on 06/04/2006 9:57:10 AM PDT by jmq (Islam=Religion of Peace)
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To: JustaCowgirl
Hard to imagine that that cult leader in Utah that's been charged with multiple crimes could be more dangerous than Phelps.

So far Phelps has drawn the line at raping children.

29 posted on 06/04/2006 10:00:12 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Every lady in this land hath 20 nails on each hand five and twenty on hand and feet)
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To: Elkiejg; Liz

Excellent news.

Hopefully in the discovery process, the funding of these vile POS's will be looked at very closely. There might be some interesting surprises there.

The Phelps in the 80's and 90's were big time rat backers and apparently good friends of the Gorons.


30 posted on 06/04/2006 10:13:18 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (There's a dwindling market for Marxist homosexual lunatic wet dreams posing as journalism)
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To: Elkiejg

Hurt feelings, go to court. I really dislike this trend.


31 posted on 06/04/2006 10:13:53 AM PDT by HitmanLV ("5 Minute Penalty for #40, Ann Theresa Calvello!" - RIP 1929-2006)
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To: HitmanLV

I keep saying that we should bring back dueling.


32 posted on 06/04/2006 10:15:37 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Every lady in this land hath 20 nails on each hand five and twenty on hand and feet)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear
I don't like the trend. A nation of weaklings.
33 posted on 06/04/2006 10:17:02 AM PDT by HitmanLV ("5 Minute Penalty for #40, Ann Theresa Calvello!" - RIP 1929-2006)
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To: kanawa; ThreePuttinDude
This group has been pushing, hoping for a violent reaction so they can sue.

There was an article in today's Desert Sun about Phelps...he's a law school grad, and even volunteered his services to the Gore people during the Florida election fiasco.

I didn't think I could ever hold him in lower esteem than I had before, but now I do...the "lawyer" bonus points apply.

34 posted on 06/04/2006 10:19:22 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (Meep Meep)
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To: coconutt2000

I can't believe these morons are part of a "church". What kind of "church" protests funerals? The people burying their loved ones are hurting and grieving enough as it is without some hate-filled "church" showing up to mock them and rub salt in their wounds. What happened to respect? I hope this guy cleans 'em out!


35 posted on 06/04/2006 10:20:47 AM PDT by derllak
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To: HitmanLV
Like I said, bring back dueling.

Used to be when someone hurt your feelings or you felt dishonored you could slap a glove in his face and at least attempt to make him pay for the insult in blood.

Now we just hit them in the pocket book.

There has never been a time when we allowed an insult to just pass.

Whether you like the trend or not it is a legitimate outgrowth of the "fighting words" concept.

It is not a weakness but an adaptation.

36 posted on 06/04/2006 10:21:22 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Every lady in this land hath 20 nails on each hand five and twenty on hand and feet)
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To: The Great RJ

By their fruits you shall know them. Matthew 7: 15-16.


37 posted on 06/04/2006 10:24:30 AM PDT by Ladysmith ((NRA, SAS))
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

If someone hurts your feelings and your instinct is to race to find a lawyer and take him to court, that's a weakness.


38 posted on 06/04/2006 10:28:15 AM PDT by HitmanLV ("5 Minute Penalty for #40, Ann Theresa Calvello!" - RIP 1929-2006)
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To: HitmanLV
Why?

I would say rather to permit the insult to pass with no reaction knowing that it would be repeated is a sign of weakness.

Currently we have only one legal method of retribution and that is through suing.

39 posted on 06/04/2006 10:34:00 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Every lady in this land hath 20 nails on each hand five and twenty on hand and feet)
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To: Elkiejg

Al Gore is Saddend.....


40 posted on 06/04/2006 10:36:10 AM PDT by cmsgop ( Please ! For The Love of God Verizon !!! NO MORE MICHAEL McDONALD !!!)
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