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The family accused the church and its founders of defamation, invasion of privacy and the intentional infliction of emotional distress for displaying signs that said, \u0022Thank God for dead soldiers\u0022 and \u0022Fag troops\u0022 at Snyder\u0027s funeral. U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett awarded the family $5 million in damages, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that the judgment violated the First Amendment\u0027s protections on religious expression. The church members\u0027 speech is protected, \u0022notwithstanding the distasteful and repugnant nature of the words.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n","question":"\u003Cp\u003EDoes the First Amendment protect protesters at a funeral from liability for intentionally inflicting emotional distress on the family of the deceased?\u003C\/p\u003E\n","conclusion":"\u003Cp\u003EYes. The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court\u0027s decision in an opinion by Chief Justice John G. 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