Posted on 03/30/2010 3:01:27 PM PDT by Mrs. Frogjerk
The father of a Marine killed in Iraq whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters told Fox News he will defy a court order and not pay the protesters' appeal costs.
Albert Snyder, of York, Pa., told Fox News he does not intend to pay $16,510 to Fred Phelps, the leader of Kansas' Westboro Baptist Church, which held protests at Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder's funeral in 2006.
"I don't think I'm going to be writing a check until I hear from the Supreme Court," Snyder told Fox News on Tuesday. "I'm not about to pay them anything."
The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered Snyder on Friday to pay Phelps. A two-page decision supplied by his attorneys offered no details on how the court came to its decision.
The decision adds "insult to injury," said Sean Summers, one of Snyder's attorneys.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I’d sure like to see the precedent that the judge used to make the Marine’s family pay the court costs of the person who appealed.
I keep hearing that that’s one of the big ways we could cut down on frivolous lawsuits is if the loser who filed suit pays the winner’s court costs for defending themselves, so I don’t believe for a minute that this is common practice.
Someone please explain what grounds Phelps had for suing in the first place... This is absolutely insane.
What country are we living in where the parents of a fallen Marine has to pay the costs of someone PROTESTING at that funeral (though the so-called protestor has no connection to that fallen service member and is only there to get attention).
I expect someone to dig up the info on this judge...
Then they will be provided with far more in an outpouring of generosity from a public with heart and compassion.
This is being discussed on The Mark Levin Show now, and the site given was www.matthewsnyder.org
AND his F’n lawyers too for playing along with the sick SOB. By the way, I heard it said that Phelps is gay.
Every penny Phelps rakes in is yet more funding for his anti-American freak-show campaign.
If Phelps is so much against homosexuality - then why isn’t he protesting in the big centers known for supporting homosexuals - why doesn’t he just make San Fagcisco his personal mission field? OH - because it is much easier to be a pain in the butt for grieving family members of fallen soldiers who gave their lives for this country (and his “right” to be a jerk in public).
Or even more personal - if he wants to harass folks about homosexuals - then why isn’t he stalking homosexual funerals where the death of the individual very well may be directly linked to homosexual behavior?
Which brings us right back to Phelps and his real purpose -
The Snyder family are the victims, they shouldn’t have to pay the perp anything. That said, Phelps’ behaviour falls under harrassment and is not covered by the First. Just the fact that you opined that Phelps has the right to harrass mourners makes me suspicious that you’re a sleeper.
Someone please explain what grounds Phelps had for suing in the first place... This is absolutely insane.
No, it was the family of the dead Marine, who sued in the first place. They won the initial decision and then lost on appeal. The judge awarded costs to the winner of the appeal ...
That's how it came down.
The fact you make such an absurd statement makes me suspicious that you are a complete moron. I take that back, I'm convinced of it........
There is no constitutional right to stalk people and harass them for the sole purpose of causing extreme emotional pain and suffering. As much as they and their supporters like to think so, the fact that their victims are military families doesn’t make it right.
My opinion is that Phelps & Co. are in need of a good ass whoopin'.
He was not ordered to pay Phelps' legal fees, only court costs (filing fees, court reporters, copying costs, etc.). That is mandatory in every federal case-- the loser always is ordered to pay costs, under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 54(d)(1) and Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure 39(a)(3).
The proposals for "loser pays" are to require the loser to pay the winner's lawyers' fees, which are typically much, much more than the court costs.
The Snyder family are the victims, they shouldn’t have to pay the perp anything.
Well, the problem here is that the Snyder family sued in the first place. And as I said on another thread, one of the things that has to be realized first, before going into a court case, is that one can lose. And one should be prepared for a loss, if it comes to that.
I would advise that if one cannot afford a loss like that -- then one shouldn't start a lawsuit. That would be the better course of action.
I think on the basis of free speech in this country the Snyder family will ultimately lose their case before the Supreme Court.
And if that's the case, then it would help them if people got together a fund and paid the bills for them, so that they wouldn't suffer any more loss.
I don't think they should have tried to limit free speech, because I find it useful for what I do -- in what I say against Marxist, liberal leftists -- and they think that my speech (against them) is also highly offensive and immoral towards them, and shouldn't be allowed (as I'm saying it).
So, I appreciate the free speech that I can engage in against those Marxists.
Phelps didn't sue. The father sued him (and won), Phelps appealed, the Court of Appeals ruled for Phelps.
The fact you make such an absurd statement makes me suspicious that you are a complete moron. I take that back, I'm convinced of it........
LOL ... some people want to help the Marxist, liberal leftists in limiting the free speech that conservatives have at their disposal right now and make it so that we can't say anything against these Marxists. :-)
I would hope that conservatives would realize that free speech is a potent weapon that one can use against these liberal leftists, when it is said with truth and used against these same Marxists...
There is no constitutional right to stalk people and harass them for the sole purpose of causing extreme emotional pain and suffering. As much as they and their supporters like to think so, the fact that their victims are military families doesn’t make it right.
You can protest just about anything with your freedom of speech in this country, as long as it's done within legal boundaries of not physicallly getting in the way of people and/or harming them directly.
If you're in a public place and protest, that's completely protected.
And it's a good thing that it is, because my free speech is considered to be quite highly offensive to Marxist, liberal leftists and they are quite disturbed by what conservatives say and think their free speech should be shut down.
Thank goodness they haven't been able to do that... doncha know...
The judge ordered him to pay phelps $16,510. That doesn’t sound to me like court costs.
I remember at the time of that mine tragedy in West Virgina a few years ago that Phelps and his cockroaches had intended to go and protest at the miners funeral. I remember reading somewhere(here?) that the feeling of folks in the area was summed up by a local who said “If them people come down here, somebodys gonna get killed’’. Phelps and his crew wisely keep away. I’ll say it time and again with people like Phelps and boarding it to Lefties, the moment you get tough with them, I mean actually physically tough, they back off as the cowards they are.
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