Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Military Funeral Protesting Westboro Baptist Church And Throws Out $5 million Judgment

The Supreme Court rules in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church and throws out the $5 million award for the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) that was to be paid to the father of a fallen soldier whose funeral these nutters had decided to protest.

The decision was an overwhelming 8-1 ruling, with only Justice Samuel Alito in dissent saying that the First Amendment did not protect the Westboro Baptist Church from the tort claims brought against them by the the father of a fallen soldier for protesting at his son's funeral, his son clearly being a targeted "private figure" and the funeral not being a matter of "public concern."

Majority opinion: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/09-751.ZO.html

Alito's Dissent: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/09-751.ZD.html