Lawyer: Expect ‘powerful’ statement from Supreme Court on Westboro case - The York Daily Record
The right used to hate the Phelps clan, but now that the religious right owns the party lock, stock, and barrel you don’t hear about it that much. Indeed, you see some of the same anti-gay and anti-muslim bigotry from churches and groups associated with the current anti-mosque [but really muslim-hating] campaign by some on the right. (The Church favored by Spencer and Geller, who are the main opponents to the NY mosque, Dove World Outreach, has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Phelps clan at anti-gay protests in Florida - I’ve been unable to confirm if Dove World Outreach also participated in the Synagogue protests that Westboro Baptist was at later that same trip.)
So I am watching to see how much, and what type of coverage this will get from the right wing blogosphere.
Summers has represented Snyder pro-bono since 2006, when the Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his Westboro Baptist Church protested the military funeral of Snyder’s son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder. Snyder sued the Kansas-based church for intrusion upon seclusion and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A jury ruled in his favor, but a federal appeals court overturned that verdict.
On Oct. 6, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments from both sides. Summers said people have told him Snyder is doomed to lose.
“The reality is, anyone that tells you they know what the ruling is going to be doesn’t know what they’re talking about,” Summers said. “The Supreme Court took this case to make a statement. We just don’t know what that statement is, but it’s going to be very powerful.”
A few highlights from the speech:
Gathering support: When the Kansas Attorney General told Summers he wanted to write an amicus brief supporting Snyder, Summers said the attorney general thought he could get about 10 other states to sign on.