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2010-03-30 Home Front: Culture Wars

Marine's dad ordered to pay Phelps' court fees

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Posted by 2010-03-30 09:01|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 It'll be a good day in Hell when Phelps shows up there.

Posted by tu3031 2010-03-30 09:28|| 2010-03-30 09:28|| Front Page Top

#2 Parliamentary Inquiry: Does Phelps count as an American?

Posted by gorb 2010-03-30 10:10|| 2010-03-30 10:10|| Front Page Top

#3 American? Does he count as human?

Posted by Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2010-03-30 10:46|| 2010-03-30 10:46|| Front Page Top

#4 Let's help him out if we can.

Posted by newc 2010-03-30 10:55|| 2010-03-30 10:55|| Front Page Top

#5 I haven't found the details of this case but it might be that the Snyders filed some kind of lawsuit against Phelps over the protest and that lawsuit was dismissed and perhaps defined as 'frivolous', or under some other circumstance that requires 'loser pays' in whatever jurisdiction applied.

Posted by Glenmore 2010-03-30 11:15|| 2010-03-30 11:15|| Front Page Top

#6 If ever there were a man in need of a severe beating, its Fred Phelps and anyone associated with his band of barratry criminals. It is in some ways a shame that this is not the 1880s. Phelps would long ago have been tarred and feathered.

Posted by Beldar Threreling9726 2010-03-30 11:22|| 2010-03-30 11:22|| Front Page Top

#7 Snyder originally beat them for over a million. The appeals court threw that out on appeal. I think that's what this is about.
Supreme Court's taking it in the fall, so I doubt if it's considered frivolous.

Posted by tu3031 2010-03-30 11:26|| 2010-03-30 11:26|| Front Page Top

#8 History of the case.

Posted by tu3031 2010-03-30 11:36|| 2010-03-30 11:36|| Front Page Top

#9 tu,
With that information, I certainly agree it was not 'frivolous'. I do not believe the Court of Appeals overturned the original award or ordered Snyder to pay costs because it approved of Phelps. Just guessing, but probably overturned the award because it found Phelps' conduct was protected speech, regardless of how vile, and ordered costs because the applicable law required it. If I am correct on those points then I would be surprised if the Supremes did not uphold the 4th Circuit.
Moral of the story - if you can't beat Phelps in court, beat him with a baseball bat.

Posted by Glenmore 2010-03-30 11:36|| 2010-03-30 11:36|| Front Page Top

#10 Glenmore - that sounds accurate, nd a quite scan of the case history indicates as much.

I wonder, though, if an issue for the Supremes is the award of costs following the successful appeal, rather than overturning the appellate result itself.

Though a lawyer, I have zero experience in appellate practice and remedies, but this seems to be an "easy" case to jumble in various issues - 1st amendment rights, speech vs. conduct, statutory vs. discretionary awards/costs, and so forth.

I doubt the plaintiffs/appellants will ever pay anything, but their also likely not to recover anything, alas.

The first amendment can tolerate mosquitos like Phelps, and it seems Harley escorts are the solution on the ground.

The donations should be to the family, not so much to the legal cause, and I hope and expect their counsel have aired that issue thoroughly.

Posted by Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2010-03-30 12:36|| 2010-03-30 12:36|| Front Page Top

#11 Aren't they the group that was sued out of existence a few years ago, If i recall right the Phelps group lost and was ordered to pay a huge sum, some millions of dollars Knowing full well they didn't have it simply to shut them down.
...............................................

Ok after a bit of research this is the same group, they successfully had the jury's verdict reversed and are still In the hate business.
Disgusting vile folks.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2010-03-30 13:15|| 2010-03-30 13:15|| Front Page Top

#12 Fourth Circuit? I would have expected such an result from the Ninth Circus.

Posted by Flaper Scourge of the Algonquins4926 2010-03-30 13:55|| 2010-03-30 13:55|| Front Page Top

#13 If I were him, I would let it go to collections first, then pettion the court for relief. ANYTHING to keep the lawyers (Phelps and crowd are also the lawyers) from gettig s dime.

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2010-03-30 14:21|| 2010-03-30 14:21|| Front Page Top

#14 Jimmuah, they'e not in the hate business, they're in the law business. The entire clan lives off court settlements.

Posted by Shipman 2010-03-30 17:38|| 2010-03-30 17:38|| Front Page Top

#15 Someday Phelps will pass away. I intend to picket his funeral.

Posted by Tholush the Prolific3678 2010-03-30 21:33|| 2010-03-30 21:33|| Front Page Top

#16 Tar and feathers are far more gentle than Phelps and his clan deserve.

Posted by OldSpook 2010-03-30 21:41|| 2010-03-30 21:41|| Front Page Top

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