WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment protects fundamentalist church members who mount attention-getting, anti-gay protests outside military funerals.
The court voted 8-1 Wednesday in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The decision upheld an appeals court ruling that threw out a $5 million judgment to the father of a dead Marine who sued church members after they picketed his son's funeral.
Texas Panhandle lawmaker Four Price, joint-authored a bill in the legislature that would limit the time when people could picket at a funeral service. The bill would outlaw picketing from 3 hours before the service to 3 hours after the service, within 1000 feet of the place where the funeral is taking place. Pronews 7 is trying to get reaction from Representative Price on the ruling from the Supreme Court.
