Father of Slain Marine Forces to Pay Protesters' Legal Fees
Quote:
Lawyers for the father of a Marine who died in Iraq and whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters say a court has ordered him to pay the protesters' appeal costs.
On Friday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that Albert Snyder of York, Pa., pay costs associated with Fred Phelps' appeal. Phelps is the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., which held a protest at the funeral of Snyder's son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, in Westminster in 2006......
(Story from Baltimore Sun)
How to help.
Phelps is a public figure .....
because he and his cohorts have made themselves public figures by placing themselves in the media's eyes via their outrageous statements. So long as they attack other public figures (e.g., the Pope), they can get away with it on First Amendment grounds (NYT-Sullivan 1964 and Time-Hill 1967; and, yes, Hustler-Falwell from later on) - as those cases are currently applied.
The real impact of the 4th CA decision is that loud, bully boys can inject themselves into the public spotlight and inflict damage on little people who do not desire that spotlight - and that those bully boys will not be punished for what they do. Viewed in that light, the 4th CA decision is pure bullsh$t.
Regards
Mike