Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Court: First Amend. Protects Funeral Protesters; Rules Anti-Gay Protests OK Outside Mil. Funerals

The US Supreme Court ruled today (March 2, 2011) that the free speech rights of the First Amendment protect fundamentalist church members who mount anti-gay protests outside military funerals, despite the pain they cause grieving families, the Associated Press website reports.

The high court voted 8-1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas.

The decision upheld an appeals court ruling that threw out a $5 million judgment to the father of a dead Marine, who sued church members after they picketed his son's funeral.

Justice Samuel Alito dissented.

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