Dead Marine’s dad ordered to pay protesters’ legal fees
If Democrats were smart, they’d set up an immediate fund for this father.
If Republicans were smart, they wouldn’t let Democrats beat them to it.
Here’s the take from the Associated Press:
BALTIMORE – The father of a Marine killed in Iraq and whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters from Kansas was ordered to pay the protesters’ appeal costs, his lawyers said Monday.
On Friday, Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered Snyder to pay $16,510 to Fred Phelps. Phelps is the leader of Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church, which conducted protests at Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder’s funeral in 2006.
The two-page decision supplied by attorneys for Albert Snyder of York, Pa., offered no details on how the court came to its decision.
Attorneys also said Snyder is struggling to come up with fees associated with filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court.
The decision adds “insult to injury,” said Sean Summers, one of Snyder’s lawyers.
The high court agreed to consider whether the protesters’ message is protected by the First Amendment or limited by the competing privacy and religious rights of the mourners.
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106 comments Add your comment
Republican turned Democrat
March 30th, 2010
1:15 pm
Right Wing Christian and Gay? Wow, that is quite a background. Kudo’s to you for standing up for what you believe in. You are a true American.
Maybe they should put Phelps, Rush, Hannity, Beck, Palin and the tea baggers on an island with the Hutarra Militia and let them fight it out on who’s gonna be the true voice of the GOP.
East Lake Ira
March 30th, 2010
1:15 pm
kitty: the Dad sued Phelps and his group, won a multi-million dollar verdict at trial, and lost the appeal(by Phelps et al)… therefore the court held that the dad had to pay the nutter’s appeal costs… don’t agree with example here but I do agree with the priciple: you lose you pay.
albert
March 30th, 2010
1:39 pm
Kiss my Butt is what the dad should say to the judge.
Innocent bystander
March 30th, 2010
1:43 pm
It’s interesting that Phelps law firm is the ACLU. This group exists due to private donations, and should not be entitled to any reimbursement of costs.
Phelps and the ACLU; what a perfect team.
TrollSniffer
March 30th, 2010
1:58 pm
Firstly, I detect ‘Trolls” here. Trolls who lurk in forums and exist purely to provoke, they get off on doing it. Secondly whether one is left, right or center matters not. You NEVER disrepect the dead or intentionally inflict additional suffering on those who mourn. Act like Americans NOT barbarians.
East Lake Ira
March 30th, 2010
2:07 pm
trollSniffer: Real Americans embrace free speech, warts and all.
conservative democrat
March 30th, 2010
2:18 pm
Red,
I happen to know an individual whose legal fees were paid by Heritage. He was posting anti-abortion info online and was kidnapped by Paul Hill to be interviewed before he killed an abortion doc. This is no left wing anything. It’s the simple truth. I’m a conservative and I don’t like crooks being paid with my tax dollars, no matter which party they affiliate.
Chris
March 30th, 2010
2:23 pm
I think the judgement is right because it is a free speech issue. I think it’s totally absurd that someone who calls himself Christian would do such a horrible thing to anyone let alone someone who died for this country. Set up a place for people to make dontaions to Mr. Snyder. If Mr. Phelps thinks he’s doing Jesus’ work would Jesus heckle a funeral? Totally OUTRAGEOUS!
lmno
March 30th, 2010
2:27 pm
Everyone says that Christianity is a religion of peace, but where are the so-called “moderate christians” denouncing Phelps and this new terrorist organization.
If Christians don’t want to be profiled in airports, then they should take a stand against these terrorist like Hutaree.
VLCS
March 30th, 2010
2:30 pm
As a christian it pains me to say this but Mr. Phelps – I pray you go to H*LL! You and your “church” are part of what is wrong with this country but thank God you live in a country where you are free to say and do what you wish made possible in part by the sacrifice of the young man who’s funeral you disgraced and mocked all to forward your hate filled anti-gay agenda and let’s face it, your desire to be in the news and on tv!!! You will be judged one day by that ultimate power – no tv cameras around then!!! You are a disgrace with a heart of hate!! God doesnt need a tv camera to see that!!!
JE
March 30th, 2010
2:31 pm
I think turning this into a debate against Republicans and/or Democrats just shows how this country is more polarized than ever before. I’m a Dem, but using this story as evidence against your typical Christian conservative is akin to saying envirowackos who blow up Hummers are representative of your typical liberal. We’re ALL Americans,and we rise or fall together! 99.999% of Americans ABHOR this man and his pseudo-church; why can’t we just stop screaming past each other and not make this one more thing about politics? I fear if we don’t quickly get over all this hyper-partisanship we are absolutely doomed as a country.
Whacks Eloquent
March 30th, 2010
2:35 pm
Imno @ 2:27
See my post at 12:46
Phelps is not a Christian, as evidenced by his actions. He is passionate about his hateful beliefs, but they are horribly misguided and do not resemble anything I have read in the Bible.
Whacks Eloquent
March 30th, 2010
2:38 pm
This must be a similar feeling for moderate Muslims who do not condone the actions of Bin Laden etc. Bin Laden is not considered to be a true strong believer of Islam, he has hijacked as his vehicle for hate. Phelps has done the same with Christianity, and he is not the first.
lmno
March 30th, 2010
2:39 pm
“99.999% of Americans ABHOR this man and his pseudo-church; ”
I would agree that almost everyone dislikes this man due to his methods. However, I would submit to you that a large percentage of this country thinks that his message is fine, its just his method they don’t agree with.
lmno
March 30th, 2010
2:42 pm
Well, whacks eloquent, I agree with you.
I just took a near ubiquitous quote about muslims and replaced it with Christians in an attempt to make those who post those understand that.
If I had a nickel for every time I saw someone talk about how Muslims are peaceful because moderate muslims aren’t doing something to stop the terrorist, I’d have at least $5.
Now, I wonder if Christians who post those things are doing anything to stop people like Hutaree.
conservative democrat
March 30th, 2010
2:44 pm
Chris,
What do you think of a trio of cowards who chose not to fight for their country (Cheney, GW Bush, & Rove) dreaming up a scheme to send 5,000 young Americans heros to their deaths based on a pack of lies? Oh yeah, then they refused to allow cameras to film the flag drapped coffins so the public would stay on their side.
Is it unpatriotic to protest such a senario?
Whacks Eloquent
March 30th, 2010
2:48 pm
Imno @ 2:39
What part of his message do you think they agree with? A large percentage?
Some people don’t like gays, more people opposed the war – but these tend to be opposite groups. Not many gay-haters opposed to the war, sorry. Certainly not what I would deem a large percentage.
Besides, his methods are what make him the creep he is, anybody is entitled to their opinions on something. But disrupting funerals is just a really low, inhumane thing to do. Whatever message he intends to get out there is lost in the veil of bitter hatred…
Atlantan
March 30th, 2010
2:50 pm
Republican Turned Democrat – you are a phony! Take Conservative Democrat with you as there is no such thing. By the way morons – Democrats supported W’s decision to go to war with Iraq & Afghanistan. Since you are so blind you haven’t noticed that Obama has turned up the war in Afghan and more troops have died.
lmno
March 30th, 2010
2:54 pm
“What part of his message do you think they agree with? A large percentage?”
Well, his main literal message according to his signs is “God hates fags”. I would estimate that as much as 10% of the public agrees with that message which to me is a large percentage.
Much too large.
Pete
March 30th, 2010
2:56 pm
I thought you had to have a permit to hold a legal protest? Who in their right mind approved a permit for this “protest”?
conservative democrat
March 30th, 2010
3:00 pm
Bob,
Sorry I overlooked your earlier query. The only group doing funding that I referred to was the Heritage Foundation. I’m not sure their motivation, but I doubt they consider it an investment. If so, it’s not a very sound one.
To be conservative is to want to conserve something. How about the constitution, the environment, and individual liberty? These are things I value that are being destroyed by progressives and neocons.
WAW
March 30th, 2010
3:04 pm
JC… I’m sitting here thinking, “These folks need to find something to do besides going at this Left/Right, Republican/Democrat, white/black day after day no matter what the blog is about.” And then the light bulb came on! I’m sitting here reading all this crap. I think I’m going to mow the grass. You know? Get out in the sunshine. Do something besides reading (and I say again) all this crap!
Some other Bear
March 30th, 2010
3:13 pm
Dear Arlin Spector ( the only republican turned democrat I know )
Are you freaking kidding me ? You want to make this travesty of justice about your disdain for the conservitive party ? Where do you think soldiers come from ? Rightous men and wemon that love our country and chose to risk their lives to defend it ! IE Republicans ! Democrates only join the service during peace time as they see it as a better social program then jail . Let me see if I can put this into venacular you will understand , ” someone needs to bust a cap into Fred Phelps ass ! And while your stereotyping , This conservitive REPUBLICAN would totally allow gays to get married ! Why should straights be the only ones miserable ? I’d also MANDATE abortions for everyone that can’t show me proof of adaquet income . No thinking human being is straight party line ! But you are 100% fool
Republican turned Democrat
March 30th, 2010
3:14 pm
@Atlantan – I, along with most of the country supported the war in Afghanistan, for obvious reasons. I did NOT and never did support the war in Iraq. It was based on lies and propaganda. This is what what started my exodus from the GOP. I could see how the party platform was using fear to steer their agenda. Dems may not be perfect, and yes many unfortunately supported the Iraq Lie.
Bottom line, if you look at history, you will realize as I have, that the dems are ALWAYS cleaning up the mess the the GOP creates! Here we go and they are having to do it again. I don’t agree with everything the Dems do but common sense has lead me to align more with them than the whackjobs in the GOP
Republican turned Democrat
March 30th, 2010
3:19 pm
I actually turned Democrat before Spector did. My first temptation to do so was the debacle with GW stealing the 2000 election. Although I foolishly voted for him, it was very obvious and blatant that his brother Jeb all the way up to the Surpreme Court, did all they could to ignore the votes of a certain group down in FL. That was the first hint that the GOP was nothing but a bunch of lying crooks out for themselves.
conservative democrat
March 30th, 2010
3:32 pm
Of course, there’s Zell. He’s an elephant in a donkey suit.
Mrs. White&Black
March 30th, 2010
3:33 pm
wesleywhatwhat & Republican turned Democrat-Thanks for putting “RED” and other “major league A$$holes” in their place because we all know what kind of person Phelps is regardless what party this animal belongs to or what he protests…his actions Clearly show him to be another racist, hateful, Republican at heart.
*So now I see Troll’s comment, as well as some other poster about how everything gets twisted into Dem vs.Rep/Black v.White/Left v. Right and you know what? You guys are absolutely right. I’m gonna go cut some grass now:)
WE have lost our way
March 30th, 2010
3:36 pm
Sad and hard to belive that a man of God protest at a man’s furneral!! This person was someones son who gave his life for our Country. Gay or not Gay has nothing to do with this act. I hope Mr. Phelps is prepared to explain this action when he stands before God. Good Luck.
TP4U
March 30th, 2010
3:36 pm
@ JE, Whacks Eloquent and WAW – I love the voice of reason and understanding. We need more of it on this blog. Galloway, can we have a free partisan day on this blog. Whatever commentary you post cannot include Democrat, Republican, liberal,white folks, black folks, conservative, rightwing, leftwing, progressive, whacko, socialist or Obama. Kinda like not allowing profanity–give us one day of no partisan bashing. Let’s see if the folks are intelligent enough to talk about a subject matter without name calling. I bet you $1.00 that’s the day all the bloggers will be sick! And, please make sure the post you select is controversial!
Karl Marx
March 30th, 2010
3:48 pm
Good grief. You so called Republican turn Democrat and so called conservative democrat should remember we have a candidate for governor that was a Democrat then switched to Republican. Turncoats are in both parties. Now don’t forget a Republican cleaned up the mess after Jimmy Carter disaster and it was a disaster.
conservative democrat
March 30th, 2010
3:54 pm
Atlantan,
I am a native Atlantan and an army of one. I did support going to Afghanistan, but not Iraq. I think W thought that his daddy left some unfinished business there and he was going to finish Sadam one way or another. If he was going to do it on a lie and without the UN, then why not do it with one bullet instead of 5,000 American heros’ lives?
W was in the air national guard during Vietnam. Do you know how hard it was to get into the national guard? To get into the regular national guard (not air national guard) you had to know a congressman or be playing in the NFL. Why, to get into the air national guard your daddy had to be head of the CIA or something. So, the coward used his political pull the avoid going to the rice patties.
Ironic isn’t it, that the same coward is put into office and sends 5,000 young American heros to their death to defend his daddy’s mistake.
And by the way, we still have the financier of 9/11 on the loose in Afghanistan sending us e-mail threats and tauntings whenever he chooses.
And another thing, I think it would be a big mistake for Obama to pack up and leave Iraq entirely. GHWB pulled out after we had spent tons to achieve air supremacy. Then we had no place to land our planes in the mid-east. We had to beg Turkey to let us fly over their territory. When you sacrifice 5,000 lives and a Trillion $s, you should be able to land an airplane there.
conservative democrat
March 30th, 2010
4:06 pm
Hey Karl,
Under Carter, none of the hostages were killed and the senile fool that replaced him turned the foreign policy of our country over to the dishonorably discharged Olie North and criminal William Casey.
By the way, I never was a republican. I only voted in one republican primary and that was to vote against Mitt Romney (and his son nameed Tag). I have, however, voted independent a couple times.
Republican turned Democrat
March 30th, 2010
4:11 pm
Jimmy Carter inherited the Ford/Nixon garbage and was unable to clean up the mess they created. He simply wasn’t able to clean it up in the midst of all the other crises that sparked at the time. Carter always gets a bad rap but it isn’t deserved.
Republican turned Democrat
March 30th, 2010
4:17 pm
Karl it is amusing how you claim Reagan cleaned up after Carter…you call the recession of the 80’s a clean up? The trickle down never trickled but the rich sure got richer? That’s cleaning up? The mess up was the GOP, Carter never got a fair chance not to mention he was a little too timid. Nothing really got cleaned up until Clinton did it, and did a great job. Didn’t take long for GW to bone things up again. Now here we are cleaning up after another Republican mess.
LOL
March 30th, 2010
4:57 pm
um, the story is about a wacko that I would say does not represent the left or the right as the guy and his cult followers are just darn crazy. Now for the rest of you…grow up! There are more important things than to try and decide who ‘owns’ the crazy man. Can’t we all agree he and the group should be locked up for their saftey and ours?
bev
March 30th, 2010
6:40 pm
I don’t see this at all as a republican or democratic party cleanup effort. its just the same old, centuries- old efforts of human hatred at work. it is true – lots of people love to hate – and gays tally have tallied the top spot for centuries. people are just plain, flat-out, hard to believe. WHAT A SHAME. And why should, or would anyone think that this is just a right-minded problem – as there are plenty of lefties also thinking this way.
Mike
March 30th, 2010
9:05 pm
Republican turned Democrat…. Phelps and his entire family are nothing more than a bunch of inbred jackasses (an hypocrites I might add) who are in need of being dealt with in a harsh manner. Leave the buffoonery of YOUR politics out of it and do something productive. (The heretical “Westboroites” have a website… find it, it’s not hard, and email THEM instead driveling others who consider themselves conservative).
Cliff
March 30th, 2010
9:56 pm
Phelphs is not a Christian, he’s a lawyer hiding behind God.
Herf
March 31st, 2010
6:23 am
GA politicans need to jump on this quick; No protest within two city blocks or one thousand feet of a burial ceremony.
Herf
March 31st, 2010
6:31 am
and no voice applifaction (sp) device can be used by protestors near a burial ceremony. I would say that the folks that did this want their 15 min. of infamy and are attempting to incite a riot.
Karl Marx
March 31st, 2010
6:37 am
Sorry Mr. Democrat who thought he was a Republican I lived through Jimmy Carter’s 18% Interest on home loans and listened to him tell us the American Dream was dead. Reagan got us back to work at a time when you were still getting your diaper changed by Mommy. Carter will soon be the 2nd worst President of all time. The worst is in office now. Now go put on a sweater and quit whining
Republican turned Democrat
March 31st, 2010
8:23 am
Karl, you’re so old I’m surprised you can remember back that far. Those 18% interest on home loans – a direct result of Nixon/Ford policies. C’mon dude, stop blaming Carter for what your pre-historic Tea Partiers did.
Mike, by the language and grammar you used, you sound pretty inbred yourself. What’s the old saying: Takes one to know one? Go back to your GOP enclave and whisper about overthrowing the government and all that bs you all dream about.
Mary Smith
March 31st, 2010
9:06 am
Baptists have been protesting at Gay funerals and events for years. It’s good tha the rest of the country now knows what it feels like.
DirtyDawg
March 31st, 2010
6:21 pm
Don’t know if it’s been mentioned earlier, but it would appear that O’Reilly has, once again, proven that he knows an opportunity when he sees one and is paying the gentleman’s court costs. Don’t recall who mentioned it first over the past day or so, but the challenge was for the Democrats to pick up the tab before the Repugs do, or vice-versa. B’O’ must have read it first. Regardless, it would appear that the man will, at least not have to pay.
As for the folks that want to drag Jimmy into this discussion, Repug-to-Dem said it, the high interest rates that you’re blaming on Carter were already well underway under Nixon and Ford…they were driven by the runaway inflation – remember Ford’s WIN (Whip Inflation Now) buttons? And the long lines at the gas pumps were driven by ‘FORs’ – Friends of Republicans around the world, and predominately in the Middle-east, OPEC that kept the supply down so the gas prices wouldn’t ease before the ‘80 election – along with their deal with Iran to hold onto the hostages – thus keeping the pressure on interest rates. By the way, those guys – Repugs – didn’t want any ‘October Surprises’. Well the one thing that they couldn’t do anything about was that Carter put the ‘cure’ in motion when he, and he alone, put Paul Volker in as the ‘Head of the Fed’. It was Volker’s tight-fisted style and policies that brought the whole mess under control, not Ronnie Regan’s corporate welfare giveaways.
ttom68f
April 2nd, 2010
11:01 am
Republican Turned Stupid,
If Clinton did such a good job why did you vote for Bush. Your an idiot with all your GOP ranting. You should try thinking for yourself. DB
Andy Steinhauser
April 2nd, 2010
1:40 pm
Does anyone know where I can send a donation to help this mourning dad?
titus dardar
April 3rd, 2010
10:46 am
i dont know,or care if Mr.Phelps or Mr.Snyder is dem. or rep.I go to jail before payin the bill.
Jennifer
April 21st, 2010
5:28 pm
Bill O’Reillly is paying this judgment for the dad.
Mari
April 21st, 2010
7:43 pm
WBC is coming to protest in Atlanta, GA on May 6th. On their list are three High Schools, one of which is Grady High School where my two daughters attend. I shared this article today, as a warning to them to be peaceful and loving. You see they (Grady kids and community members) are going to Counter-protest, with love, and laughter and funny signs. The kids also plan to raise money to help charities that are condemned by the WBC.
Moderate
April 21st, 2010
8:00 pm
“I’m just sick of the whackjobs coming from the right who all claim to be patriotic, Christian, etc etc. If the GOP would have their whackjob constituents just shut up, they might win something again. Their true agendas come out through their right-wing nuts. ”
If the Democrats would have their whackjob just shut up, but they elected him president.