Snyder v. Phelps (decided March 2)

This case tested the 1st Amendment convictions of many a civil libertarian. The Rev. Fred Phelps, the pastor of an anti-gay, anti-Catholic church, believes that <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="ORGOV000021106" title="U.S. Military" href="/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/defense/u.s.-military-ORGOV000021106.topic">U.S. military</a> casualties are divine judgment for American toleration of homosexuality. True to that credo, Phelps and his followers picketed near the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who died in Iraq in 2006. One of their signs read: "Thank God for IEDs." Quoting the late Justice William Brennan in case involving burning of the American flag, Chief Justice <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PEPLT00008040" title="John G. Roberts, Jr." href="/topic/crime-law-justice/justice-system/john-g.-roberts-jr.-PEPLT00008040.topic">John G. Roberts Jr.</a> wrote: The "bedrock principle underlying the 1st Amendment" is that the government cannot punish words or ideas "simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable." The 8-1 ruling means that private figures like Snyder's father will face as high a hurdle in bringing emotional-distress lawsuits as public figures such as the late Rev. <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PERLL000059" title="Jerry Falwell" href="/topic/religion-belief/jerry-falwell-PERLL000059.topic">Jerry Falwell</a>.<br>
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Our March 3 editorial: <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/03/opinion/la-ed-funeral-20110304">The right to be vile</a><br>
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Above, Phelps' grandson Jacob, demonstrates outside the Supreme Court on Oct. 6, 2010.

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( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images )

This case tested the 1st Amendment convictions of many a civil libertarian. The Rev. Fred Phelps, the pastor of an anti-gay, anti-Catholic church, believes that U.S. military casualties are divine judgment for American toleration of homosexuality. True to that credo, Phelps and his followers picketed near the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who died in Iraq in 2006. One of their signs read: "Thank God for IEDs." Quoting the late Justice William Brennan in case involving burning of the American flag, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote: The "bedrock principle underlying the 1st Amendment" is that the government cannot punish words or ideas "simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable." The 8-1 ruling means that private figures like Snyder's father will face as high a hurdle in bringing emotional-distress lawsuits as public figures such as the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.

Our March 3 editorial: The right to be vile

Above, Phelps' grandson Jacob, demonstrates outside the Supreme Court on Oct. 6, 2010.

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