In a Split 8-1 Decision, the U

question 15

Essay

In a split 8-1 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Snyder v. Phelps, 131 S. Ct. 1207 (2011) that the First Amendment protects protesters at a funeral from liability for intentionally inflicting emotional distress on the family of the deceased. The family of deceased Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder filed a lawsuit against members of the Westboro Baptist Church who picketed at his funeral. The family accused the church and its founders of defamation, invasion of privacy and the intentional infliction of emotional distress for displaying signs. Do you agree with the court's holding or with the dissent written by Justice Alito? Explain your position.

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Definitions:

Common Shares

Equity securities that represent ownership interest in a corporation, entitling shareholders to dividends and a say in corporate matters.

Weighted Average

A calculation that takes into account both the quantity and the significance of each item in a set to find an average that is influenced by the size or weight of each component.

Preferred Shares

A class of ownership in a corporation that has a higher claim on its assets and earnings than common shares, often with fixed dividends and no voting rights.

Basic Earnings

Basic earnings typically refers to the net income of a company, calculated before any effects of preferred dividends, divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.