TOPEKA – (March 2, 2011) – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt today issued the following statement on the United States Supreme Court’s decision to set aside the Maryland jury verdicts that had awarded damages to the family of Cpl. Matthew Snyder as a result of the picketing conducted at Cpl. Snyder’s funeral by the Westboro Baptist Church:

“Today’s decision is a disappointment for Kansans who have endured for so long the embarrassment brought upon our state by the shameful conduct of the Westboro Baptist Church. Our hearts go out to the Snyder family whose pain and distress were at issue in this case. At the same time, we are encouraged that the Court’s ruling is narrow and limited in application only to tort law and to the facts of this case. The Court made clear that its decision today does not disturb the funeral privacy laws enacted in many states, including Kansas, that create a zone of privacy in which bereaved families may grieve. We will continue to defend vigorously the constitutionality of the Kansas Funeral Privacy Act if and when it is challenged.”