Kansas church loses bid to dismiss defamation lawsuit
11:09 a.m. Friday, June 8, 2007
Baltimore — A federal judge has rejected a church’s attempt to dismiss a defamation lawsuit that had been filed by the father of a fallen Marine after church members picketed his son’s funeral.
U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett on Monday ruled against the church’s contention that the court would be forced to decide between different religious viewpoints.
Albert Snyder, of York, Pa. is suing the Rev. Fred Phelps and his Topeka, Kan.-based church after church members demonstrated at the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, of Westminster, Md., last year and posted pictures of the protest on their Web site.
The church claims that the death of American servicemen and women in Iraq is God’s punishment for the country’s tolerance of homosexuality.
Its attorneys have argued that members have a First Amendment right to express such opinions. Snyder’s suit says that such rights do not extend to funerals.
The case goes to trial in U.S. District Court in Baltimore in October.
The information for this story was provided by ljworld.com
Comments
Note: ktka.com does not necessarily condone the comments here, nor vouch for the factual claims made therein. Nor do we review every post.
Jun. 10, 2007 at 2:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)Linda (anonymous)
Good Luck Mr. Snyder! Fred and Shirley's cult needs to be stopped in their abominable tracks.
No God would condone this type of behavior. By calling Fred Phelps "Reverend" would be to say he is ecclesiastical, which he is NOT. I would be more secure in saying he could be an anti-Christ and when he dies he will be in the company of Adolf.
The Phelps clan is nothing but a smalltime cult with the smell of rotting flesh following them everywhere they go. I've not seen anything more sad looking since the Jim Jones cult.
Someone seriously needs to put him in a padded cell with a mirror at one end so he can admire himself until he drops out of site from dementia or an "untimely" accident. That goes for his daughter the lunatic too.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)