Man ordered to pay appeal costs of anti-gay protesters at his son's funeral

• metta
  
  Posts: 44230
  
  
  Mar 30, 2010 7:53 PM GMT

  Man ordered to pay appeal costs of anti-gay protesters at his son's funeral
  
  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/bal-md.protest30mar30,0,5037470.story
  
  
  
  

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• roadbikeRob
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 8:53 PM GMT

  This is ridiculous, what is the court thinking when they came up with this ruling. Why should a man who lost his son pay for an appeal by anti-gay protesters. This is definitely a serious miscarriage of justice.

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• Space_Cowboy_...
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 9:33 PM GMT

  metta8 saidMan ordered to pay appeal costs of anti-gay protesters at his son's funeral
  
  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/bal-md.protest30mar30,0,5037470.story
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  WOW! Really? I'm so done with America right now.

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  Mar 30, 2010 9:34 PM GMT

  Space_Cowboy_89 said

  metta8 saidMan ordered to pay appeal costs of anti-gay protesters at his son's funeral
  
  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/bal-md.protest30mar30,0,5037470.story
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  WOW! Really? I'm so done with America right now.

  guess the saying "Only in America" is true huh :i

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• FredMG
  
  Posts: 989
  
  
  Mar 30, 2010 9:38 PM GMT

  I wonder how many of the "anti-gay protestors" had enough patriotisim to go off and fight for their country. Probably just another bunch of Glen Beck wanna-be 4-F douchebags that have no real resect for people serving in the military or their families.

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• Buddha
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 9:40 PM GMT

  I feel really dumb right now but... what exactly are appeal costs?

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• trvlmscl
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 9:41 PM GMT

  This is an absolute outrage!
  
  The only time I would ever condone assassination is for the fcuked-up head of Phelps. Anyone know a guy who knows a guy? I hope his Marine buddies pay Westboro a visit...

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• roadbikeRob
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 9:43 PM GMT

  The 4th circuit court of appeals must have had a conservative right winger appointed as chief justice by Bush/Cheney to come up with this horrendous ruling. Anyone who sides with that rampaging right wing lunatic Fred Phelps and his sycophant loonie tunes is definitely a right winger.

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  Mar 30, 2010 9:47 PM GMT

  buddha_the_god saidI feel really dumb right now but... what exactly are appeal costs?

  
  Appeal costs are when someone loses a lawsuit, but then appeals it to the Court of Appeals. If the person wins the appeal then the original suer may be ordered to pay the legal and court costs of the appealer.
  
  The article doesnt say what the orginal suit was. I presume the father must have sued Phelps for picketing the funeral....won the case....but lost on appeals.
  
  
  EDIT: ok, here was the father's original suit:
  

  • 
    
  • invasion of privacy by intrusion upon seclusion,
    
  • intentional infliction of emotional distress ("IIED"),
    
  • and civil conspiracy
    
    
    "...After a trial in October 2007, the jury found the Defendants liable for $2.9 million in compensatory damages and a total of $8 million in punitive damages. Although the district court remitted the aggregate punitive award to $2.1 million, it otherwise denied the post-trial motions. See Snyder v. Phelps, 533 F. Supp. 2d 567 (D. Md. 200 (the "Post-Trial Opinion"). The Defendants have appealed, contending that the judgment contravenes the First Amendment of the Constitution. "
    
    

  http://www.morelaw.com/verdicts/case.asp?n=08-1026&s=MD&d=41419

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• metta
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 9:48 PM GMT

  
  http://www.LanceCpl.MatthewSnyder.org

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  Mar 30, 2010 9:55 PM GMT

  "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. ... "
  
  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/30/marines-father-ordered-pay-protesters-court-fees/?test=latestnews
  
  

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  Mar 30, 2010 9:57 PM GMT

  As disgusting as the wbc is, the guy never should have sued them. If anything, he should have sued them on some other, more nebulous grounds, like emotional distress or something. The wbc is populated heavily with lawyers. They live for this stuff. They dare you to get in their face enough and give them grounds to sue you. I won't be surprised if Phelps turns around and countersues this guy. In the U.S. there is no justice, only law.

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• MercuryMax
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 10:05 PM GMT

  we can't let this just happen, but what can we do to help?

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  Mar 30, 2010 10:07 PM GMT

  metta8 said
  http://www.LanceCpl.MatthewSnyder.org

  
  One can send a contribution to the father's legal defense fund at:
  
  https://co.clickandpledge.com/sp/d1/default.aspx?wid=33691

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  Mar 30, 2010 10:09 PM GMT

  MercuryMax saidwe can't let this just happen, but what can we do to help?

  
  
  I'd say the best thing to do would be to block the entrance to his home so the authorities can't arrest him when he refuses to pay. A few thousand people on his street will prevent them from making it to his door. Short of that, make a donation and bulk up wbc's coffers.

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  Mar 30, 2010 10:11 PM GMT

  I think the WBC might be secretly Jewish since they're all lawyers... lol

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  Mar 30, 2010 10:18 PM GMT

  That's a pretty offensive thing to say and I'm tempted to insult you, but in this case it's more important to tell you simply that that's really offensive, and I'm not even Jewish or a lawyer or a member of wbc.

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  Mar 30, 2010 10:34 PM GMT

  McGay saidThat's a pretty offensive thing to say and I'm tempted to insult you, but in this case it's more important to tell you simply that that's really offensive, and I'm not even Jewish or a lawyer or a member of wbc.

  
  
  My Jewish friends all laugh about jokes like that. Chill out.

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• pure_motion
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 10:38 PM GMT

  I'm a bit confused. Was the marine who died actually gay? I watched a documentary on the WBC and they call everyone they don't like a 'fag', especially soldiers. They don't limit it to self-identifying gay men. Any hints?
  
  EDIT: Even if he wasn't gay, the WBC is horrendous, and I fully support the father in this case.

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  Mar 30, 2010 10:41 PM GMT

  I only skimmed the article, but it appears that the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the judgment of the District Court in favor of Phelps. In the appeals system it is not unusual for an appellate court to award reasonable attorney's fees and other court costs to the prevailing party. However, given the nature of the case I am deeply disappointed and disturbed that the court would award attorney's fees here. Either Snyder's lawyers made a very poor showing of their case, or Phelps' team blew their appeal out of the water.
  
  Either way, I find it personally outrageous that the court ruled the way it did. I wish Mr. Snyder nothing but the best in his Supreme Court showdown. It will be his last chance to have the appeals court's judgment award set aside and reversed.

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• RSportsguy
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 11:10 PM GMT

  pure_motion saidI'm a bit confused. Was the marine who died actually gay? I watched a documentary on the WBC and they call everyone they don't like a 'fag', especially soldiers. They don't limit it to self-identifying gay men. Any hints?
  
  EDIT: Even if he wasn't gay, the WBC is horrendous, and I fully support the father in this case.

  
  
  Pure Motion--in these people's warped minds, the USA is promoting a 'pro' gay lifestyle, so by serving their country with honor and bravery, the soldiers in the military are helping to promote this agenda.
  It is truly disgusting!!

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• RSportsguy
  
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  Mar 30, 2010 11:12 PM GMT

  redmcs saidThis is an absolute outrage!
  
  The only time I would ever condone assassination is for the fcuked-up head of Phelps. Anyone know a guy who knows a guy? I hope his Marine buddies pay Westboro a visit...

  
  
  well, if there is a God, he should be paying them a visit also!!

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  Mar 30, 2010 11:18 PM GMT

  The Baltimore SunThe lawyers say that Snyder is also struggling to come up with fees associated with filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court.

  
  
  ... so not only is the cost of filing a brief with the US Supreme Court prohibitively high, he's now saddled with the legal fees for that pompous, pontificating, pseudo-religious parasite? Sometimes our legal system is... umm... great.

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• TexanMan82
  
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  Mar 31, 2010 12:01 AM GMT

  The best thing to do is to just ignore the WBC. They want this kind of attention.
  
  I also support their right to say what they want at their protests, as disgusting as it is.

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  Mar 31, 2010 12:09 AM GMT

  TexanMan82I also support their right to say what they want at their protests, as disgusting as it is.

  
  
  This is what infuriates me. Not that you support the right to free speech, but they pervert that right just as viciously as they exploited the legal system.
  
  Is free speech still free when you yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre? It seems to me that that's what they're doing, socially speaking.

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