![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkhis-rOVLLOtCohu71LHrUGbMzAAeAmkFNWjZ7Zl6HTamuBbAWXTlM1VfXhez6-RSN7Hq1j3SQ4kJn1Ss0Gm4MScKTrFSYKflsp6py64-kZW98BosD8iFgJ6N4WAWLM_BhrwmA/s400/westboro-480.jpg)
On the same day that the Westboro Baptist Church staged an
anti-Semitic rally in Brooklyn, a federal appeals court
overturned a $5M judgment against them won by the father of a soldier whose funeral they had picketed. The judge ruled that even "distasteful and repugnant" speech is protected by the First Amendment. Last June a lien
was placed on Westboro's properties for non-payment of the judgment, but none were ever seized. The original amount was $11M, but was reduced on the first appeal.
(Photo by Alison Bowen)Labels: "celibacy", Brooklyn, lawsuits, religion, Westboro