The US Supreme Court will hear a controversial case involving a Kansas Baptist church and the family of a deceased Iraq War veteran whose funeral was interrupted by protests against the war.  Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder was killed in Iraq in 2006.  During his funeral in Kansas, members of the Westboro Baptist Church held a anti-war, anti-military protest.  The family sued the church for emotional distress but the case was overturned by a lower court.   The court imposed attorneys fees upon the family of the deceased Marine.  Now, the US Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case.

This past Friday, 42 US Senators, led by US Senator Harry Reid filed an amicus brief on behalf of the family.  According to the brief, " Respondents were and are free to convey their repugnant message in virtually any public manner they choose, but they were not free to hijack petitioners’ private funeral as a vehicle for expression of their own hate.” 

More than 40 states have laws restricting funeral protests.  In this particular case, state attorneys general including the Kansas Attorney General, have argued that the protesters are not protected by constitutional freedom of speech arguments.