April 5, 2008
Fred Phelps and his hateful, attention-seeking clan are learning that despite their legal wrangling, there are some predicaments they just can’t get out of.
A federal judge in Maryland on Thursday ordered liens on the Westboro Baptist Church building and the Phelps-Chartered Law office.
If the case presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett is upheld by an appeals court, the church, at 3701 S.W. 12th, and the office building, at 1414 S.W. Topeka Blvd., could be obtained by the court and sold, with the proceeds being applied toward $5 million in damages Bennett imposed on church members for picketing a military funeral.
…..
The $5 million penalty is the result of a lawsuit filed against three of the church’s principals by Albert Snyder, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, whose funeral was picketed by church members.
The senior Snyder contended the picketing caused emotional distress and invasion of privacy.
…..
One of Snyder’s attorneys, Sean Summers, of York, Pa., said Thursday that based on financial information supplied during a hearing on the case, paying the $5 million penalty likely would force the church and the three named officials of the church to file for bankruptcy.
However, he said, even bankruptcy wouldn’t let them out from under the $2.1 million punitive damages part of the judge’s order. They would still be obligated for that amount under federal bankruptcy rules.
The Phelps family might go bankrupt because of their hateful, abominable behavior? Awwwww.
In addition, the judge on Thursday required Shirley Phelps-Roper to post a $125,000 bond and Rebekah Phelps-Davis to post a $100,000 bond by May 5 or he will rescind a stay ordered by the court to prevent confiscation of their property.
But Phelps-Roper, an attorney, called that meaningless. She said the only property she and Phelps-Davis own are their homes and courts are forbidden from confiscating a person’s home.
“I have nothing at risk,” she said.
In February, Bennett ordered Phelps-Roper, Phelps-Davis and their father, Pastor Fred W. Phelps Sr., to provide detailed financial information about their interests.
The records showed the church property to be worth $442,800 and the law office building to be worth $233,000. Summers said the lien could be placed on the law office building because it is owned by Phelps Sr.
“He (the judge) looked at my tax returns and saw that we give money to the church, and he didn’t like that,” Phelps-Roper said.
The Judge didn’t like that you give money to the church, which is owned by your family and comprised mostly of family members, as a means of essentially legally hiding your money away–tax free? I wonder why. 
I suppose now the Phelps clan will have another reason to blame gays. Thanks to us, they’ll claim, they may very well be bankrupt and may have to discontinue their holy crusade–if only for a while. I don’t expect they’ll consider the possibility that their own behavior had anything to do with it. People like them seem incapable of such insight.
Posted by: Buffy
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Fred Phelps,
Hate Speech,
Homophobia,
Kansas,
Law Enforcement,
Maryland,
Radical Religious Right,
United States
February 26, 2008
Per the Miami Herald:
The incident occurred Sunday morning outside The Floridian at 1410 E. Las Olas Blvd.
The couple and a friend sat down to breakfast about 3 a.m. at an outdoor table. They ordered sandwiches, tea and juices.
A man got out of his pickup truck, walked by them and promptly began yelling slurs at the trio — Melbourne Brunner, his partner Mitchell Mart and a friend visiting from out of town.
“He was yelling, ‘Faggot, were you looking at me, if you were, I’m going to come back there and break your neck. That’s what I do to faggots’ and then he twisted his hands together,” Mart recalled.
. . .
The men started to get into their car, which was parked two feet from the table, when the pickup driver said, “‘That’s what faggots do, they run,’” Mart said.
As Brunner tried to climb into the passenger seat, the man punched him several times, pushing the car door on him. Brunner fell to the ground, striking his head.
. . .
The man ripped off his shirt and threw it over [his license plate] as he yelled, “I’ll kill you before you get my tag number!”
. . .
Brunner suffered severe bruising, which has spread, Mart said Tuesday afternoon as they prepared for another doctor visit. Brunner did not suffer any broken bones. “His jaw is out of wack,” said Mart, a retired dentist.
“Everyone was just sort of in shock. We were traumatized,” he said.
. . .
Police are treating the incident as a battery and looking into the possibility that it may have been a hate crime.
. . .
Fort Lauderdale, known for being one of the most gay-friendly communities in the country, has had an increasing number of violent acts committed against members of the gay community in the last year.
That coupled with controversial comments from long-time Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle. …
. . .
…[L]ately there have been the violent overshadows: just last week, Simmie Williams, a 17-year-old boy, was murdered at the corner of Sistrunk Boulevard and 10th Avenue. He was wearing women’s clothes. …
“Police are treating the incident as a battery and looking into the possibility that it may have been a hate crime”?!
Just how many times does the perp have to use the word “faggot” in the same breath as a direct threat before it’s officially a hate crime?
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Florida,
Hate Crimes,
Homophobia,
Law Enforcement
September 29, 2007
Gays to set up security patrol to curb attacks
Frustrated by a lack of official action on homophobic violence, the gay and lesbian community will organise its own security patrols at popular events and party venues.
The GenQ Street Angels want volunteers with policing, military, security or medical experience to join.
. . .
“We’re hoping that just by their presence, the Angels will deter people from any sort of threatening behaviour,” Mr Stopps said.
He stressed that the initiative would not be about vigilantism. But, he said, if people were now scared to venture out at night it was time to do something about it.
. . .
Fewer than 35 per cent thought increased police patrols were enough to remedy the situation and almost 60 per cent said they were in favour of community security patrols.
Discuss this story
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Australia/NZ,
Hate Crimes,
Law Enforcement
September 28, 2007
From silive.com:
A gay police officer has filed a discrimination suit against the city and the New York Police Department, saying he was threatened with violence, called vulgar names and treated unfairly by supervisors because of his sexuality.
. . .
[Michael Harrington, 30], of Brooklyn, said in the suit that within months he overheard an officer in the men’s room referring to him as a “faggot.” Harrington spoke to the officer who said he would hurt Harrington if he confronted the officer again.
Court papers say Harrington also repeatedly sought a transfer from the 75th Precinct but his written applications “kept getting lost.” He was told that after he finally transferred out of the 75th Precinct, that someone posted obscene drawings of him in a sex act, the suit claimed.
. . .
Harrington says he complained to a supervisor about being mistreated and the supervisor said he was going to transfer him to the Sixth Precinct in Greenwich Village “so plaintiff could be with his people,” the suit said.
At the Sixth Precinct, court papers say, a co-worker told Harrington in December 2006 that “all faggots should be shot.”
Harrington was repeatedly denied a chance to work day shifts even after he explained to his supervisors that he needed to do so because hoped to adopt a child, according to court papers.
Discuss this story
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Employment/ENDA,
Hate Speech,
Law Enforcement,
New York
Chicago cop accused of anti-gay fracas
Three women claimed Thursday in a federal lawsuit that an off-duty Chicago police officer roughed them up and called them names because of their sexual orientation after this year’s gay pride parade.
. . .
“This case is another example of the corruption, cover-up and brutality that is festering inside the Chicago Police Department,” said attorney Dana Kurtz, who filed the suit for damages on behalf of the three women.
. . .
According to the lawsuit, a vehicle driven by Fuery came upon a car moving at 30 mph on Interstate 55 after the June 24 parade. Fuery beeped her horn, and Szura responded by slamming on his brakes, speeding up and switching lanes, making it impossible for Fuery to pass, the lawsuit said.
Fuery was forced to the shoulder, where Szura screamed words such as “dyke” and spit at her, according to the lawsuit. The women claim he stuck a gun in Fuery’s abdomen, “causing her to fear for her life.”
When Sciortino tried to step in, Szura shoved her, and she fell, the lawsuit said. When Tomaskovic drove up in another car and tried to help, Szura placed her in a chokehold, according to the suit.
Discuss this story
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Hate Crimes,
Illinois,
Law Enforcement
September 26, 2007
The Edge reports:
A gay Idaho man has said he will sue the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office if his complaints of anti-gay harassment continue not to be addressed.
Chukk Nielson said that he, his partner, and their son don’t feel safe. Ever since moving into their home in the town of Ammon two years ago, they’ve been targeted with vandalism and other forms of harassment, according to a news report posted online today by KIDK, an area station.
Said Neilson, “We got egged, a deer [head] put into our mailbox, spray painted with words ‘fag,’ ‘queer,’ [and] toilet papered with human feces wrapped in it, thrown up against our house.”
. . .
According to Neilson, he’s had police at his home a dozen times to investigate various incidents over the last two years. Neilson also said he and his family had made three calls just this past weekend. …
. . .
But the authorities have also failed to keep track of the cases.
Said Neilson, “They did take pictures every time, but [the photos] never got filed, [they] don’t have the case number [for the various reports], don’t know where the file went.” …
Discuss this story
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Hate Crimes,
Idaho,
Law Enforcement
What would Bob think?
|
|
The Toronto Star reports:
Toronto police will monitor this Friday’s concert by Jamaican dancehall artist O’Neil Bryan, also known as Elephant Man, after receiving complaints that the performer incites anti-gay violence through his music.
. . .
Despite protests by the Toronto-based Canadian Caribbean Human Rights Group, immigration officials have issued visas to both Bryan and Collins. The latter was banned from the United Kingdom in 2004. Bryan arrived in Canada last week and has performed in Winnipeg and Victoria, where local police closely monitored the concerts.
. . .
Ticket sales for Elephant Man’s show have been poor, with only one-third of the 2,180 seats sold. Sizzla’s concert is expected to draw 1,500.
That’s little comfort to the organizers of the Stop Murder Music campaign, made up of 20 advocacy groups that believe music by homophobic dancehall performers has contributed to mob attacks against gays in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Police could charge the artists if they perform anti-gay numbers.
The artists’ Toronto promoters, Ultimate Entertainment and Chris Hines Ent., say the performers don’t have the power to “invoke violence and murder” against gays and lesbians.
The Toronto booking agent says he can’t do anything now because of contractual agreements, but says: “I am a million per cent against lyrics that promote hatred against gays and lesbians, women, religions and races … Had I been aware of the nature of the lyrics, I wouldn’t have allowed the booking.”
That’s why it’s important to keep hammering at the issue. A lot of people who can do something are just not aware.
See also:
Dr Evil or plain hate?
Discuss this story
Posted by: Sapphocrat
Permalink
|
Trackback
|
Category:
Canada,
Caribbean,
Hate Music,
Jamaica,
Law Enforcement
