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.
This is a small town northwest of Baltimore MD - hopefully this is happening all across the country.
Finally!!!
I Pray they win. Good against evil!
I have to wonder about the religious group.
They're so tacky they seem like genuine liberal plants. I'm glad they're getting sued though. And when God gets around to punishing people for being homosexuals, I think he's going to stick to just punishing homosexuals... after they're dead, buried, and brought before him for judgment.
This is way, way overdue, and the way to handle these scum - not by passing yet another law.
It's an absolute shame this family must to continue to fight.
About time.
Oh my GOd, how can you be so biased against a group only trying to be accepted for their depraved immoral and perverted lifestyle?
Oh my GOd, how can you be so biased against a group only trying to be accepted for their depraved immoral and perverted lifestyle?
Can I be on the jury, please?
Greenbelt is actually South of Baltimore, but thst isnt a big deal
I hope when the suit is over this man is awarded any property owned by the church, and property owned by Phelps and phelps is left standing on the street in his skivvies.
bttt...Finally!
The problem with litigation with the Phelps, they have bred multiple lawyers within their ranks. Fred Phelps is disbarred (probably still so, but I'm unsure of current Bar status)but several others are viraciously litigious. They fight dirty, even according to local courts.
See http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?sid=184
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/michael_haggerty/expose3.htm
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21229
They're all his family. And lawyers, to boot
1988
Phelps provides rooms for Democrat Al Gore's presidential campaign workers. Though the Phelps-Gore connection will grow increasingly distant, Phelps' oldest son, Fred Jr., is invited to the first Clinton-Gore inauguration in 1993.
By 1998, Gore will be seen as such an enemy by WBC that its members picket the funeral of Gore's father.
What is with these nutjobs from the Westboro Baptist Church? One of the messages of the Gospel is treating others with compassion. Jesus himself wept when he heard of Lazarus' death. Apparently their reading of the scripture omits these points.
Probably the most definitive web summary of helps is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Phelps. I cannot believe this poor fellow. Without a doubt he is a very disturbed fellow.
opps try this one on Freddie
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geuony54JE234Boi9XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB2bzBpdmkxBGNvbG8DZQRsA1dTMQRwb3MDNQRzZWMDc3IEdnRpZAM-/SIG=121dqvoel/EXP=1149516146/**http%3a//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rev._Fred_Phelps
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