U.S. Supreme Court Rules For Protesters At Military Funerals

Supreme Court OKs Protests at Military Funerals -- ABC News

Westboro Baptist Church Protected by First Amendment, 8-1 Majority Rules.

The Supreme Court ruled today that the First Amendment protects members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., who have held provocative, anti-gay protests at military funerals.

An 8-to-1 majority affirmed a lower court judgment that threw out damages awarded to Albert Snyder, who first sued the church for emotional distress he endured after it protested at his son's funeral. His son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, died in Iraq in 2006.

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More News On The U.S. Supreme Court Ruling On Permitting Protests At Military Funerals

Westboro Baptist Church to 'Quadruple' Funeral Protests After Ruling -- ABC news
Supreme Court: 'hurtful speech' of Westboro Baptist Church is protected -- Christian Science Monitor
Supreme Court Rules On 'Hurtful Speech' -- NPR
Anti-Gay Funeral Protesters Win Case at U.S. Supreme Court -- Bloomberg
Justices Rule for Protesters at Military Funerals -- New York Times
Country's high court says anti-gay church can protest at funerals -- Baltimore Sun
Anti-gay US church has right to picket funerals: court -- AFP
Westboro Court Decision Pits Free Speech Against Common Decency -- AolNews
Westboro Funeral Pickets Are Protected Speech, High Court Rules -- FOX News
1st Amendment protects military funeral protesters -- AP
Westboro Baptist Church wins Supreme Court ruling over protests at military funerals -- CBS news
Supreme Court Decisions Affect Service Members, Vets -- U.S. Department of Defense
Westboro Baptist Church decision: Alito dissents, says free speech not a license for "vicious verbal assault" -- CBS News
Annotated Supreme Court decision in Snyder v. Phelps -- YDR.com

My Comment: Cannot say that I am surprised by this ruling .... but it still makes me feel disgusted.

U.S. Supreme Court: Federal Contract Workers Must Submit To Background Checks

U.S. Supreme Court

Supreme Court Rules Federal Contract Workers Must Submit To Background Checks -- Washington Post

It is reasonable and proper for the federal government to perform background checks of those who work under government contracts, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

The court rejected a challenge from contract workers that their privacy rights were violated by open-ended questions about them or detailed queries about past drug use. The court said it was proper to extend to contractors the kind of background checks federal workers undergo.

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My Comment: This is a not a surprise to me, and the Supreme Court ruling unanimously is also no surprise. You would want to know who you are hiring when it comes to federal contracts .... especially is there is a national security angle involved.

Is The U.S. State-Secrets Privilege About To Be Derailed?

The entrance of the US Supreme Court in Washington. Newscom

Supreme Court: Is US Unfairly Hiding Behind State-Secrets Privilege? -- Christian Science Monitor

Since 1953, the US has been able to derail lawsuits it says could reveal state secrets. The Supreme Court will look at a case Tuesday that questions whether the privilege is being applied properly.

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday takes up a case examining whether the government properly invoked the state-secrets privilege to dismiss a civil lawsuit in a multibillion dollar defense contract dispute.

The case is being closely followed because it could result in the high court clarifying the scope of the executive branch’s power to side-step the court system whenever officials claim sensitive national security information is at risk.

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My Comment: This is long overdue. People in power tend to hide their mistakes by using this States-Secret privilege to hide it .... what is my take .... there must be a structure in place to provide oversight and to insure that such abuses are stopped. Will they do it .... the Supreme Court is going to give us a heads up on what will be happening when they eventually make their ruling.

Are Military Funeral Protesters Protected By First Amendment?

Justices Hear Arguments in Funeral-Protest Case -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a highly charged case involving protestors objecting to homosexuality who picketed a military funeral.

The father of a fallen Marine had sued members of a Kansas church that used his funeral to spread their message that God is punishing the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality by killing its soldiers.

“We’re talking about a funeral,” Sean E. Summers, a lawyer for the father, Albert Snyder, told the justices. “Mr. Snyder simply wanted to bury his son in a private, dignified manner.”

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More News On The Supreme Court Hearings On Permitting Protests At Military Funerals

Justices appear set to limit funeral protests -- L.A. Times
Justices struggle with free speech, funeral protests -- USA Today
Westboro Baptist Church Comes to the Supreme Court -- ABC News
Justices Hear Arguments in Funeral-Protest Case -- New York Times
Court considers anti-gay protests at funerals -- Reuters
High Court Raises Doubts About Marine Father's Case Against Westboro Church -- FOX News
Court considers Westboro Baptist Church's anti-gay protests at military funerals -- Washington Post
Supreme Court hears arguments on church protests at military funerals -- Washington Times
High court struggles with funeral protest case -- AP
The Conversation: Inside the Westboro Baptist Church -- ABC News
Offensive, but not illegal -- Baltimore Sun

Will The Wikileaks War Documents Leak Case Go To The U.S. Supreme Court

Sotomayor Predicts WikiLeaks War Documents Leak Will Prompt Case Before US Supreme Court -- CBC/Canadian Press/AP

DENVER - Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor predicts that the nation's high court will be asked again to weigh national security versus free speech because of the WikiLeaks website.

In remarks to high school and college students in Denver on Thursday, Sotomayor was asked about the website that published classified U.S. war documents.

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Update: Sotomayor predicts WikiLeaks case in Supreme Court -- AP

My Comment: I am not surprised by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Many on the left would love to have this case go to the Supreme Court, and have them rule on the constitutionality of leaking government secrets.

Expect this case .... which I am sure is going to happen .... to become one of the most watched cases for the court.

Should Protestors Be Permitted At The Funerals Of Our Fallen Soldiers? U.S. Supreme Court To Decide

Justices To Hear Case Of Protest At Marine Funeral -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether the father of a Marine killed in Iraq may sue protesters who picketed his son’s funeral with signs that read “God Hates You” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.”

A federal appeals court dismissed the suit on First Amendment grounds and threw out a $5 million award against the protesters, who are members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., and maintain that God hates homosexuality and that the death of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan is God’s way of punishing the United States for its tolerance of it.

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More News On The Supreme Court's Decision To Rule On Protests At The Funerals Of Soldiers

Marine's dad ordered to pay protesters' court fees but says he won't -- Wichita Eagle
Supreme Court Wades Into Funeral Protests -- Wall Street Journal
Supreme Court to rule on picketing military funerals -- Jurist
Snyder v. Phelps -- Frederick News Posts opinion

My Comment: I hate these protesters and for what they stand for .... but I will fight to protect their 1rst Amendment Right .... reluctantly.

Supreme Court To Hear Case Of Anti-Gay Protests At Funerals Of US Soldiers

Supreme Ct. To Hear Military Funeral Case -- Time Magazine/AP

(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court is getting involved in the legal fight over the anti-gay protesters who show up at military funerals with inflammatory messages like "Thank God for dead soldiers."

The court agreed Monday to consider whether the protesters' message, no matter how provocative and upsetting, is protected by the First Amendment. Members of a Kansas-based church have picketed military funerals to spread their belief that U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

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More News On The Supreme Court And This Case

Justices to Hear Case of Protest at Marine Funeral -- New York Times
High Court Takes Funeral Protest Case -- FOX News
Military Funeral Protestor Asks High Court to Protect His First Amendment Rights -- ABC News
High court to hear case of anti-gay protests at funerals of U.S. soldiers -- USA Today
Top court to decide on anti-gay protests at military funerals -- Reuters
Supreme Court to rule on anti-gay protests at military funerals -- Washington Post
Funeral Flap: Justices Weigh Religion, Speech Rights -- Threat Level