Reply #79: Your post needs an "ATTENTION POSTERS! THE CASE WAS ABOUT.." kind of subject line....

[A HERETIC I AM]

Seems to me, you are the only one who brought up this completely relevant point. The case was NOT about Phelps protesting at the funeral. It is NOT about being able to protest on a sidewalk. It is a DEFAMATION case wherein the plaintiff alleged the defendant defamed them and his son by claiming on a website that the parents brought him up to hate god, etc etc. It was alleged that Phelps and his clan intentionally wrote and published statements that were demonstrably untrue, done so without any investigation by plaintiffs as to veracity and are therefore defamatory.

Here's a .pdf of the original claim;
http://www.matthewsnyder.org/Complaint.pdf

"Count 1, Defamation" begins on page 5

Appropriately enough, the jury agreed with the complaint and awarded damages as they should have.

I don't think Phelps stands any chance on appeal.