UPDATE: The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church’s right to picket funerals.
The Supreme Court of the United States is hearing arguments today on the case of Snyder v. Phelps. Fred Phelps, the leader of a Kansas church not connected to any of the Baptist denominations, has taken to holding protests at the funerals of military personnel who have been killed in combat.
Albert Snyder is suing Phelps because of the protest Phelps led at the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder in 2006. Phelps and company carried placards at the funeral with messages such as “God Hates You.”
Albert Snyder was awarded $11 million for intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. A federal appeals court threw out the verdict on First Amendment grounds.
The Westboro protestors were kept at least 1,000 feet away from the funeral at all times, following local limits.
Aside from the legal remedies, the Westboro protestors are frequently kept at a distance or drowned out by the sounds of the Patriot Guards, motorcyclists who attend military funerals to prevent disruptions.
The Washington Post had an editorial today that was highly critical of the protestors but defended their right to free speech. The paper also ran a commentary from Maryland’s attorney general who argued that some things simply can’t be defended.
You can find some additional links on this issue from a post I had back in 2006.