Woman whose son stomped on flag attacks law

[cec]

Woman whose son stomped on flag attacks law




The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 8, 2007 508 EDT

PAPILLION, Neb. — Nebraska’s law to protect the American flag is unconstitutional, says a legal challenge filed for a Kansas woman.
Shirley Phelps-Roper has been charged with letting her 10-year-old son, Jonah, stomp on an American flag outside a Bellevue soldier’s funeral in June.
She also was charged with negligent child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and disturbing the peace.
Nebraska’s flag law defines flag mutilation as when a “person intentionally casts contempt or ridicule upon a flag by mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning, or trampling upon such flag.”
Phelps-Roper, who is also a lawyer, has noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down laws forbidding flag desecration.
She is a member of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka and the daughter of the church’s founder, the Rev. Fred Phelps.
Westboro Baptist says that troop deaths are God’s judgment against America for tolerating homosexuals. Phelps-Roper’s father founded the church, which has protested at military funerals in Nebraska and across the nation.
The June 5 funeral in Bellevue was for Nebraska Army National Guard Spc. William “Bill” Bailey, who was killed May 25 when an explosive device struck his vehicle in Iraq.
Last month the Bellevue City Council barred church members from protesting outside the funeral of a sailor killed in Iraq.
Phelps-Roper’s attorney filed a motion in Sarpy County Court last week to throw out the state law, saying it violates her right to free speech.
The motion also said Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov’s public statements have “effectively polluted the jury pool” to the extent Phelps-Roper can’t get a fair trial in the state.
Phelps-Roper attorney Bassel El-Kasaby said he has several Polikov statements to illustrate the point.
Polikov said the complaint was hypocritical.
“This is an attempt to limit my free speech,” he said Monday. “The cornerstone of their case is free speech.”
A November hearing has been set on a defense motion that asks the prosecution to detail the facts supporting its charges against Phelps-Roper.



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[redtanker]

She had her son do it? what? she did not have it in herself?

[ptco911]

The Phelps clan will attack anything based on their warped view of religion. The problem is they are lawyers and very good at constitional law. We had to deal with them recently when a funeral was held for a soldier that died in Iraq. (I work for a Sheriff's Department) The people (used loosely) are fanatics.

[las47032]

Since our nation was founded, servicemen and women answered America's call defending the nation. Some of them gave the ultimate sacrifice keeping America safe in order for these sanctimonious so-called phoney Christians can stump on the flag and protest funerals.

When the Phelps-Roper family isn't protesting military funerals, they showed their wickedness at the Minneapolis 35W Bridge Collapse. Minnesota Monitor:: Fred Phelps Is Coming