I have a question for the legal eagles RE Westboro baptist

[Ecumenist]

Is it possible for them to be forced to pay the overtime that the strapped municipalities have to pay police because of the problems they cause at funerals where they provoke problems that wouldn't otherwise exist?


If it's possible, it may give them pause before they go on to torture another grieving family.

[RKP5637]

1. They should be, they should be held accountable, but sadly they seem to

always be given a free pass like many bullying and obnoxious people in the US.

[TheWraith]

2. Towns have in fact billed them, before.

I'm not sure if they've ever actually ponied up, or how hard it would be to make them, though.

[justiceischeap]

3. Westboro is made up of lawyers

Fred Phelps started out as a civil rights attorney and most of his kids that are involved in Westboro are lawyers. They make their money from lawsuits (suing over people discriminating against them). I think the best person to ask about recouping money for their activities would probably be the Westboro lawyers. Ironic, huh?

I think if a municipality tried to charge them, they'd turn around and sue and win. They always seem to win their lawsuits.

[RKP5637]

4. A law firm hiding under the banner of being a church, tax free.

[yella_dawg]

5. Westboro Baptist Church is a legal firm.

They make their money from lawsuits triggered by their obscene behavior. They would love to get sued in an attempt to collect law enforcement expenses.

[brewens]

6. Not the kind of thing we'd want to see used against us. Even though they are freaks,

they have their first amendment rights. You just gave me a dastardly idea. I'm somewhat involved with a group that is creating a memorial. I wonder if those clowns could be suckered into showing up? That kind of press would work to our advantage in this case I think.

[Peregrine]

7. Equal protection is a bitch

Are you willing to charge every protest inluding Occupy?

[pinboy3niner]

8. That's already being attempted

The L.A. City Attorney already is trying to charge "administrative fees" to Occupy L.A. protesters who were arrested--even though their charges were dismissed.

[gopiscrap]

12. I am a German immigrant

(Passed US Citizenship test) but my mom always reminded growing up of the fact that free speech works BOTH ways even when we don't like it!

[jberryhill]

9. Yes

However, their "protests" are typically no more than tens of minutes long, so I don't see where all this overtime is coming from.

Sometimes a bond can be required for public gatherings to cover such expenses. States have different laws on the subject. In DE, for example, if you have a gathering of 50 people or more, then you have to pay for any police assigned to deal with traffic etc. (last time I checked)

There has been, since the Constitution was written, a lot of precedent on what can and what can't be done in the area of freedom of assembly, and financial liability for public expenses resulting from the assembly is not new by any means.

[1620rock]

10. Uh Huh, the OWS protesters get maced and arrested for glancing at a cop sideways...

..while the Phelphs bunch goes unmolested just like the gun-toting teabaggers.

[Siwsan]

11. I'm pretty sure they tried to bill them, here in Flint

They showed up to picket a Marine's funeral but got tossed out of the Home Depot parking lot by management, and I suspect a little surprised by the massive number of us, along with Rolling Thunder, who showed up to shield the family. Once Home Deport threatened to have them charged with tresspassing, they just left. They probably figured all of the businesses would be the same.

The news reports I read said Westbobo was sent a bill for the extra security but they never paid, and the local government never pursued it.