It took a jury less than an hour to acquit Billy Spade, a West Virginia man, of battery charges stemming from his spitting tobacco juice on the Westboro Baptist Church’s Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Fred. Spade told the court that at a Westboro protest last April in downtown Charleston, after Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine exploded and killed 29 miners, their sign that read “Thank God for dead coal miners” pissed him off (as the son of a dead coal miner), but it was the “Thank God for dead Marines” that forced his hand. Or rather, he mouth. (A very close Marine friend died in Afghanistan.) So he gathered his tobacco-tinged saliva in his mouth and sent it flying at the sign Shirley was holding. A cop witnessed the incident and arrested him, claiming he saw Spade spit on Shirley’s chest; she was holding her sign above her head. That the incident even ended with a jury trial was surprising, but Charleston City Attorney Paul Ellis insists the uncharacteristic and drastic action was not because Westboro threatened to sue if they didn’t take Spade to court.
not guilty
Spitting Tobacco Juice At Westboro’s Shirley Phelps-Roper Is Not A Crime: Jury
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TMikel
For the very first time I see the benefits of chewing tobacco!
divkid
ewww! what a horrid noxious disgusting substance…
to waste ya ‘baccy juice on!
Nathan
A poor legal decision, hopefully the Phelps continue this case through whatever venues available. All the morons cheering this will probably have a lot of tobacco spit waiting for them down south at pro-gay events.
Kev C
A jury trial for spitting? Small town news.
John
@Nathan: Not everything is black and white, Nathan. This man faced a jury of his peers which decided he wasn’t guilty of the crime he charged with. The letter of the law was satisfied and justice was done – or are you saying that you know better here? I’m okay with the decision in this particular case.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The cop who arrested Spade is a disgusting disgrace to the uniform. God knows any member of that band of scumbags should give thanks when the only thing that hits them is some collateral tobbaco juice……I think its inevetible for some grieving family member to lose it mow the entire band of filth with either a semi automatic or a large SUV……….And it would only take one single juror to make sure justice is truly served……….
These inbred savage scumbags have no problem tossing hatred and hurt upon what must now be in the thousands of grieving families of AIDS victims and dead soldiers. Yet they are nothing but a bunch of publicity whores. They can dish it out but can’t take it. I was at a pride parade once and they attemted to infect the event with their presence. Spontaniously the Gays and their supporters started chanting “FUCK YOU” in unison at them. They were screaming at the police to “protect them”. Yet there was not a single threat of physical violence. The crowd was simply utilizing their right to free speech the inbred savages always claim they deserve. Getting no satisfaction from the police they ran away like the cowardly scumbags they truly are…….
Truly was a pridefull moment for the Gays………
christopher di spirito
Shirley Phelps is lucky someone hasn’t hurled a brick at her.
ewe
It’s interesting they condemn everyone but use the same police to protect them that all these people they hate pay for. If there is ever a time when there is no police to patrol an event they want to attend take notice that the westboro inbred nutfucks do a no show.
McMike
One more reason to get turned on by men who chew tobacco.
Shannon1981
They better be glad it was only tobacco juice. Somebody will kill them one day. You just wait.
declanto
@Shannon1981: Waiting for a totally horrifyingly excruciating disfiguring incurable prolonged terminal disease to strike their compound.
Dave
How can I buy this guy more tobacco? lol
declanto
@Dave: He deserves a lifetime supply of the cruddy despicable carcinogen as long as he’s disposing of it in such a considerate and legal manner.
FreddyMertz
I call BS….it is why this went to trial, this is how WBC makes it’s money; they will sue if you look at the cross eyed.
thankgodforWBC
the westboro baptist church has the right to preach the word of god
Cam
@Nathan:
Nathan,
The reason we have juries is so that they can take into consideration the extenuating circumstances. i.e. the LAW says this, but what really happened is this…type of stuff. The jury did EXACTLY what they were supposed to.
the crustybastard
This decision is an example of “jury nullification,” whereby a jury exercises its right to refuse to convict a defendant because the law is unjust or a conviction would be an injustice.
Jury nullification is indeed your right, even when a judge insists that is isn’t.
Soupy
I think any form of public spitting should be outlawed. Like Singapore.
jubejubes
So basically, this guy snapped because these assholes were holding signs and chanting about how happy they were that not just one but two of his loved ones were dead. Take a moment to think about how that would feel; even if you have more emotional self-control, surely you can sympathize with someone who lost it in the moment and expressed it through something that, while disrespectful, didn’t physically hurt anyone. The jury did the right thing.
FucktheWBC
@thankgodforWBC:
That’s not the word of God. “Thank God for Dead Marines” is not what God would want you to do. In the Christian Church you are encouraged to Pray for deceased and dying people, not ridicule them and force more pain and suffering on their families. SHIRLEY PHELPS IS THE ANTI-CHRIST.
RhiRhi
@thankgodforWBC: wow. geez. are you a member of the WBC? shame