Original Text http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/10/31/funeral.protests.ap/index.html
BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
A member of Westboro Baptist Church protests outside a veteran's hospital in Maywood, Illinois, in April 2006.
Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania, sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.
The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.
U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court.
Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags."
A number of states have passed laws regarding funeral protests, and Congress has passed a law prohibiting such protests at federal cemeteries.
But the Maryland lawsuit is believed to be the first filed by the family of a fallen serviceman.
The church and three of its leaders -- the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46 -- were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.
Snyder claimed the protests intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event.
The church members testified they are following their religious beliefs by spreading the message that the deaths of soldiers are due to the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
Their attorneys argued in closing statements Tuesday that the burial was a public event and that even abhorrent points of view are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.
The judge said the church's financial statements, sealed earlier, could be released to the plaintiffs.
Earlier, church members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse.
Church founder Fred Phelps held a sign reading "God is your enemy," while Shirley Phelps-Roper stood on an American flag and carried a sign that read "God hates fag enablers."
Members of the group sang "God Hates America" to the tune of "God Bless America."
Snyder sobbed when he heard the verdict, while members of the church greeted the news with tightlipped smiles. E-mail to a friend
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The photo does not do it justice. It almost looked like the sky was on fire. I pull out my camera and hold it up just as I look to my left and see four other people all holding their camera phones up doing the same thing. I snapped a few pictures playing with the light adjust to try to get the color to show up right. Rachel and I walk toward the truck to put the groceries in and I turn back to see people exiting the Smiths and stopping and pointing, all gathering in the forming line of camera phone picture takers. But when I look above the Smiths I saw another amazing sky.
The sky was a very rich cobalt blue with high contrast multi-tone orange and grey clouds. I walked over to the line of people to tell them to look behind them and they all turned with camera phones prone to capture the sight behind them. Everyone just started talking to each other at once like they knew each other and I left to walk back to the truck. Rachel was putting Elizabeth into the truck and I turned to take more pictures when a guy about my age stopped and started commenting to me on how neat the sky looked. We talked a little bit and he mentioned he was unfortunate not to have a camera phone himself. I had to break off conversation so I could help Rachel with the groceries. 
As we were driving back home I thought: Its interesting how many people we see everyday. We walk through crowds while shopping and going about our lives. We live in communities that make so much possible but its rare we actually engage ourselves in the community. It took an impressive sky to make strangers talk to each other. When its done we continue on our way and thing nothing of it. And if it was a common place occurrence we'd not even allow it to affect us. But I was grateful for the opportunity to share the sky with strangers today. 
