Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/10pdf/09-751.pdf
Page Number: 5

Cite as:  562 U. S. ____ (2011) 

1 

Opinion of the Court 

NOTICE:  This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the
preliminary  print  of  the  United  States  Reports.  Readers  are  requested  to
notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Wash-
ington,  D. C.  20543,  of  any  typographical  or  other  formal  errors,  in  order
that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press. 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

_________________ 

No. 09–751 
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ALBERT SNYDER, PETITIONER v. FRED W. 

PHELPS, SR., ET AL. 

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF

APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

[March 2, 2011] 

CHIEF  JUSTICE  ROBERTS  delivered  the  opinion  of  the

Court. 

A  jury  held  members  of  the  Westboro  Baptist  Church 
liable for millions of dollars in damages for picketing near 
a  soldier’s  funeral  service.    The  picket  signs  reflected  the
church’s  view  that  the  United  States  is  overly  tolerant  of 
sin  and  that  God  kills  American  soldiers  as  punishment.
The  question  presented  is  whether  the  First  Amendment 
shields  the  church  members  from  tort  liability  for  their
speech in this case. 

I 

A 

Fred  Phelps  founded  the  Westboro  Baptist  Church  in
Topeka,  Kansas,  in  1955.    The  church’s  congregation
believes  that  God  hates  and  punishes  the  United  States 
for  its  tolerance  of  homosexuality,  particularly  in  Amer-
ica’s  military.  The  church  frequently  communicates  its
views by picketing, often at military funerals.  In the more 
than 20 years that the members of Westboro Baptist have 
publicized  their  message,  they  have  picketed  nearly  600
funerals.  Brief for Rutherford Institute as Amicus Curiae 
7, n. 14.