Tag Archives | Snyder v. Phelps

I’ve tried to explain recent posts why I think this particular verdict based on funeral picketing is unconstitutional, because the intentional infliction of emotional distress tort and the invasion of privacy tort can’t properly be used to punish such speech. But may a legislature permissibly enact statutes banning funeral picketing, perhaps by analogy to many […]

I’ve argued in earlier posts that the verdict against Phelps should be set aside because the intentional infliction of emotional distress tort is facially overbroad and thus unconstitutional as applied to speech. The tort might be constitutional if a court limits it to applying only to otherwise unprotected speech (such as threats, fighting words, and […]

The Snyder v. Phelps jury held defendants liable not just for intentional infliction of emotional distress, but also for invasion of privacy. “Invasion of privacy” covers several torts, but the ones alleged here were “intrusion upon seclusion” (because the picketing was outside a funeral, albeit 1000 feet away) and “publicity given to private life” (apparently […]

I blogged above about why the intentional infliction of emotional distress tort is unconstitutional, at least unless it’s limited to otherwise unprotected speech (such as threats or fighting words) — which it hasn’t been. Here I want to explain why it’s proper to focus on the constitutionality of the law generally, and not just on […]