Thursday, October 18, 2012
Westboro Baptist Church members filed a lawsuit against St. Charles County over its ordinance banning picketing within 300 feet of funerals.
- GOVERNMENT
- Joe Scott
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
A U.S. Court of Appeals ruling could lead to dismissal of a Westboro Baptist Church lawsuit against St. Charles County, officials said. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit overturned a lower court’s ruling against a City of Manchester ordinance that protects the rights of funeral attendees “to mourn in peace and privacy for a limited time in a limited space.” The court concluded “that Manchester has shown a significant government interest in protecting the peace and privacy of funeral attendees for a short time in limited space.” “This is a great, common-sense decision,” said St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann in a news release. “We’re confident it lays the groundwork for the case against St. Charles County to be …
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The Kansas-based church held signs and sang songs for nearly 45 minutes during a peaceful protest at the St. Peters high school.
This time the Westboro Baptist Church decided to show up. Armed with signs, flags and portable stereo blaring parody cover songs, five members of the controversial church descending on Fort Zumwalt East on Wednesday afternoon. Flanked by a heavy police presence, the church members stood outside the high school from 1:53 p.m. until 2:36 p.m. and protested. "It’s a school that’s a microcosm of America,” Westboro church member Cary Fritz said. “These students here actually wrote to us and told us that this school was totally overrun with fag-agenda type stuff. So we’re out here in response to that—students requested us out here.” Westboro had announced on its website that church members would be coming to picket Fort Zumwalt East on Feb. 6. …
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Patch takes a look at five items that made news throughout St. Charles County in 2011.
1. Protesting funeral protests For St. Charles County, 2011 started with shouts of “USA” and choruses of “God Bless America” as a flag and sign-wielding St. Charles County and St. Louis area residents countered a demonstration by four Westboro Baptist Church members. The Topeka, KS-based church members were protesting outside the St. Charles County administrative building and the St. Charles City Hall. The protest was a response to a St. Charles County ordinance prohibiting picketing within 300 feet of funeral services one hour before and one hour after the ceremony. "Ten years ago, we didn't need a law like this because everyone respected people's right to mourn their deceased relatives," said County Executive Steve Ehlmann, at the time…
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Supreme Court votes 8-1 in favor of Westboro Baptist Church in lawsuit brought by Marine's father.
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling will not alter St. Charles County’s defense of its law restricting protests at funerals, said a St. Charles County official. In fact, the decision handed down Wednesday may bolster the county’s case, said Assistant County Counselor Robert Hoeynck. The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of Westboro Baptist Church, upholding a lower court decision that shields Westboro Baptist Church from liability for its protests. Albert Snyder, the father of Matthew Snyder, a Marine killed in Iraq, sued the church after members picketed his son’s funeral for intentionally inflicting emotional distress. A lower court had awarded Snyder $5 million. The St. Charles County ordinance being challenged by Westboro Baptist Church …
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig asks questions on content of protest, barriers.
- GOVERNMENT
- Joe Scott
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011
St. Charles County and ACLU attorneys presented arguments Tuesday in federal district court in St. Louis regarding an ordinance restricting picketing during funeral ceremonies in unincorporated St. Charles County. Arguments focused on whether the St. Charles County ordinance targets negative messages and whether or not the distance and time restrictions are too burdensome. The ordinance prohibits picketing within 300 feet of a funeral ceremony for one hour before through one hour after the service. The city of St. Charles adopted an identical ordinance Tuesday night. Westboro Baptist Church members Shirley and Megan Phelps-Roper brought the federal lawsuit against St. Charles County after the county council adopted the funeral ban …
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
St. Charles County fast-tracks an ordinance specifying visitations are not included in the law being challenged by the ACLU.
The St. Charles County Council repealed its funeral protest ordinance on Dec. 20, but members weren't backing down from a lawsuit filed against the county. They replaced the repealed measure with a fast-tracked ordinance that clarifies the new law does not apply to funeral visitations. "We made it stronger," said Councilman Joe Brazil, R-District 2, of Defiance. The county faces a lawsuit filed by Westboro Baptist Church, whose members have picketed more than 500 deceased soldiers' funerals around the nation, including Missouri. They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri. "The ACLU subpoenaed us Thursday and we went to court on Friday," Brazil said. "During the proceedings, they made some comments our …
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Tony Capo
8:44 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
sore loser? the body bags keep comin home. thats a win win - you loser. more ›