Fred Phelps going down?

[Hustle Wimmins]

http://cjonline.com/stories/040408/loc_264906171.shtml

A federal judge in Maryland on Thursday ordered liens on the Westboro Baptist Church building and the Phelps-Chartered Law office.

If the case presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett is upheld by an appeals court, the church, at 3701 S.W. 12th, and the office building, at 1414 S.W. Topeka Blvd., could be obtained by the court and sold, with the proceeds being applied toward $5 million in damages Bennett imposed on church members for picketing a military funeral.

One of Snyder's attorneys, Sean Summers, of York, Pa., said Thursday that based on financial information supplied during a hearing on the case, paying the $5 million penalty likely would force the church and the three named officials of the church to file for bankruptcy.

However, he said, even bankruptcy wouldn't let them out from under the $2.1 million punitive damages part of the judge's order. They would still be obligated for that amount under federal bankruptcy rules.

A jury awarded Snyder compensatory damage of $2.9 million and punitive damage of $8 million. But the judge on Feb. 4 reduced the punitive damage to $2.1 million, for a total judgment of $5 million.

In addition, the judge on Thursday required Shirley Phelps-Roper to post a $125,000 bond and Rebekah Phelps-Davis to post a $100,000 bond by May 5 or he will rescind a stay ordered by the court to prevent confiscation of their property.

[johnny861]

That always made me wonder about the Phelps. A few of them are supposedly sharp lawyers.

My question is, what kind of scumbag is willing to pay them money to represent them?

Or at least, what do you say to people to defend the decision to use them?