States Pile On Against Westboro
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Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have submitted a brief to the Supreme Court in support of a father who sued anti-gay protesters over their demonstration at the 2006 funeral of his son, a Marine killed in Iraq. Only Virginia and Maine declined to sign the brief by the Kansas attorney general. Albert Snyder sued over protests by the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church at his son's funeral in Maryland. The church pickets funerals because they believe war deaths are punishment for U.S. tolerance of homosexuality.In March a judge ruled that Snyder must pay Westboro's court costs for defending themselves against his suit. Bill O'Reilly then stepped in to pay Snyder's fine personally.
Labels: First Amendment, religion, Supreme Court, Westboro