Flag-desecration case still alive (funeral protester from Kansas)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100402/NEWS97/704039959/0#flag-desecration-case-still-alive

Published Friday April 2, 2010

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) -- Another Nebraska judge has refused to dismiss the flag-desecration charge against against a Kansas woman.

Douglas County Judge Joseph Caniglia was appointed to hear the Sarpy County case after two other judges were removed from the case. Caniglia refused Friday to throw out the case against Shirley Phelps-Roper on constitutional grounds.

Phelps-Roper was accused in 2007 of letting her then-10-year-old son stand on an American flag during a protest at the funeral of a National Guardsman in Bellevue. Authorities say she wore a flag as a skirt that dragged on the ground.

Nebraska's law bars intentionally “casting contempt or ridicule” upon an American flag. Phelps-Roper has argued the law is unconstitutional.

Caniglia scheduled an Aug. 23 trial.

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Hey Roper - fuck off and die.

Hell, may your clan fuck off and die, and meet the special hell reserved for crazies like you.

[pinboy3niner]

3. They are despicable

Still, this should have been dropped and the law found unconstitutional. Flag desecration is probably the least despicable thing about this clan's behavior.

[backscatter712]

2. Ah, more from the Westboro Baptist hateful fucksticks.

Yes, they're assholes, but unfortunately, they're right - burning the U.S. flag is indeed protected by the First Amendment.

Now, engaging in acts of harassment (which the WBC is engaging in when they do their funeral protests), and engaging in expression that could be interpreted as "fighting words" - that's not protected by the First Amendment. Maybe prosecutors should look at that angle...

[Ferret Annica]

4. These crazies crave attention. A good dose of ignore

is the best medicine for them. Anything they say or do only matters to the end of getting noticed. No one is politically, religiously, or socially influenced by them in any positive way.

Shit, they probably could all get SSI as crazies and retire if they applied for it.