(However,) a number of media organizations, including The New York Times and The Associated Press, filed a brief supporting (the church’s) First Amendment claims.

The U. S. Supreme Court, showing deference to a bereaved father, considered Wednesday whether free speech rights allowed Westboro Baptist Church to protest at a funeral for Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who died in a Humvee accident in Iraq in 2006.

The justices were markedly more aggressive and skeptical toward arguments from Westboro’s lawyer than toward the Snyders’ attorney during oral arguments Wednesday. Chief Justice John Roberts said the church seemed to be protesting not to participate in public debate but for sheer publicity.

The Rev. Fred Phelps and several members of his family, who make up most of Westboro Baptist (which is not a part of any mainline Baptist denomination) in Topeka, Kan., held up signs outside of Snyder’s funeral in Westminster, Md., in 2006 that said things like, “Matt in hell,” and “Thank God for dead soldiers.” …

Albert Snyder, Matthew’s father, sued Phelps for causing emotional distress. He initially won an $11 million award, which a judge later reduced to $5 million.
Then the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling on First Amendment grounds and ordered Snyder to pay Phelps’ legal costs. Snyder then appealed to the Supreme Court…

The justices seemed to want to find a way to protect private, grieving individuals from becoming targets of vilification, without blocking protests in public forums.

Read More: http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/17191