Supreme Court to rule on anti-gay protests at military funerals
The Supreme Court said on Monday it would decide whether constitutional free-speech rights protected anti-gay protests by members The Westboro Baptist Church at funerals for U.S. military members killed in Iraq.
The justices today said they will hear an appeal from Albert Snyder, who sued and won a $5 million award after his son’s 2006 Maryland funeral was disrupted by protesters led by Fred W. Phelps Sr., a Kansas pastor. A federal appeals court said the award violated the Constitution’s free-speech clause.
Protests launched by Phelps and his congregants have been met with revulsion across the United States and around 40 states have now passed laws regulating demonstrations at funerals.
The case, which the court will consider in its 2010-11 term, is Snyder v. Phelps, 09-751.
(Full story: The Washington Post)
Posted by Rob Coe on March 9th, 2010 at 12:25am
