I hope they start peein down their legs every time they even THINK about protesting a funeral...they are vile, disgusting, hateful wastes of oxygen and they WILL have to answer.....someday.
BY TIM POTTER AND DEB GRUVER
The Wichita Eagle
Prosecutors today charged a decorated, double-amputee veteran with stalking and three counts of criminal use of a firearm in an incident involving members of a controversial Topeka church. Ryan J. Newell, 26, an Army veteran living in Marion, made his first appearance in Sedgwick County District Court through a video connection with the Sedgwick County Jail. He also was charged with false impersonation. His bond remains at $500,000.
VETERAN CHARGED WITH STALKING PHELPS FAMILY
WICHITA — Prosecutors today charged a decorated, double-amputee veteran with stalking and three counts of criminal use of weapons in an incident involving members of a controversial Topeka church.
Ryan J. Newell, 26, an Army veteran living in Marion, made his first appearance in Sedgwick County District Court through a video connection with the Sedgwick County Jail.
He also was charged with false impersonation of a law enforcement officer.
All the charges are misdemeanors.
His bond remains at $500,000.
The stalking charge accuses Newell of actions targeted at Westboro Baptist Church members and putting them in fear for their safety.
The weapons charges accuse him of unlawfully carrying and concealing or possessing with "intent to use" an M4 rifle, .45-caliber Glock handgun and .38-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun.
Two lawyers appeared in court at today's first appearance offering to represent Newell. He told Judge Ben Burgess that he had received offers from a number of attorneys wanting to represent him.
Burgess quipped, "The more the merrier, I suppose."
Newell, who appeared in a wheelchair and was wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, was ordered to have no contact with members of the church.
Newell's maternal grandmother saw him on Thanksgiving and said, "I think he looked better that day than I'd seen him in a long time."
She said he had never talked to her about the Phelps family but she knew he didn't like their protests at military funerals.
"He was for the United States, and he would give his life for it," she said.
The grandmother said she and her husband talked to Newell once or twice a month in recent months and wrote to him while he was serving abroad. They visited him in the hospital after he was injured in Afghanistan.
Newell had been having some health problems, she said, but his spirits were good at times.
"I just can't imagine him wanting to hurt anybody," she said, adding she learned about her grandson's arrest from his brother.
Many residents in Marion had not heard about Newell's arrest Wednesday. Neither had the local newspaper.
Newell's wife, Carrie, appeared tired and worn when she answered the door at their home Wednesday. She declined to talk to a reporter, as did her father.
Marion residents put on a parade for Newell when he returned home from Afghanistan and pitched in to help build his family a new home through the nonprofit group Homes for Our Troops.
A big sign in the Newells' yard designates his home as one built through the organization. The home was designed to accommodate his injuries.
Sedgwick County sheriff's detectives arrested Newell mid-morning Tuesday in the Wichita City Hall parking lot after a detective saw him following a van with members of Westboro Baptist Church, Sheriff Robert Hinshaw has said.
The church members were meeting in City Hall with police officials. Detectives found Newell in a vehicle backed into a parking space. In the vehicle, investigators found two handguns, a rifle and more than 90 rounds of ammunition, sources have said.
Agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives went to Newell's home, and his wife turned over items including firearms to law enforcement, said a source close to the investigation.
The Topeka church has drawn wide condemnation because its members protest at soldiers' funerals nationwide. The members claim that war deaths are God's punishment for immorality.
Newell lost his legs after an improvised bomb exploded while he was serving in Afghanistan in 2008. Some of his fellow soldiers died in the attack.
The church did not protest at funerals of the soldiers who were killed in the bombing that wounded Newell, said Westboro spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper.
Newell has received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, a relative said.
Marsha Hephner, 69, of Arkansas City, said she thinks Newell will receive widespread sympathy.
"I think it doesn't even matter what side of the political spectrum you are on," Hephner said. "What these (Westboro) people are doing is wrong. I'm a liberal liberal, and I do believe in freedom of speech, but what these people are doing, they offend the words 'freedom of speech.' "
Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/12/02/1615474/wounded-vet-charged-in-westboro.html#ixzz174bpULIX
The whole situation with this asshat 'church' stinks to high heaven...
In this article it said the weapons charges accuse him of unlawfully carrying and concealing or possessing with "intent to use"
Unless this guy made some really stupid statements how do you prove "intent to use"?
Like~~uhhh... now they have Detective Carnac The Magnificent? I don't think "Mind Reading" is one of the courses they teach at the Academy...
It said 'They found 90 rounds of ammo in his vehicle..? Whoopdee-freakin-doo!!! Less than 2 full boxes of handgun ammo. I mean~~ come on... Please get real! I carry more than that all the time...
If that young Army Hero requests a jury trial.. I don't see any way he'd be found guilty of anything.
The whole Phelps crowd is sub-human vermin.
The ironic part is that their "right to be disrespectful, scum sucking leeches" was bought for them by the same military who's dead they insult.
If they hate the military so much they should be willing to sacrifice the things that military have provided them, such as freedom of speech.
Teresa, I see what you're saying and agree...but...remember that it wasn't the military or constitution or any other gov't enity that provided us our basic freedoms, that was the Creator. I have nothing but respect for our Military in that they defend those freedoms, so don't take what I said the wrong way please.
I realize what you are saying.. and in what context..and that can be said about everything about us...~~~ but you also understand what I meant when I said what I said..
Funerals are NOT public events. They are private affairs held out in the open. You do not have freedom of speech at a private affair (Its the reason protesters are escorted out of political events).
State Courts have already acknowledged this, and SCOTUS is now contemplating this question.
Rights don't exist without responsibilities. Act irresponsible and your rights disappear.
VETERAN CHARGED WITH STALKING PHELPS FAMILY
WICHITA — Prosecutors today charged a decorated, double-amputee veteran with stalking and three counts of criminal use of weapons in an incident involving members of a controversial Topeka church.
Ryan J. Newell, 26, an Army veteran living in Marion, made his first appearance in Sedgwick County District Court through a video connection with the Sedgwick County Jail.
He also was charged with false impersonation of a law enforcement officer.
All the charges are misdemeanors.
His bond remains at $500,000.
The article says that all his charges are misdemeanors and his bond remains at $500,000. What the HE**? I really don't understand that at all. $500,000. Come one, Judge Burgess. Get real. As for being charged with three counts of criminal use of weapons, are those really misdemeanor charges or are they felony charges? Don't really know what to believe, but I agree with Ms. T. Is the arresting officer a mind reader? Give me a break. Would like to see more on how this HERO is being treated by the criminal justice system.
Hell, Janet, you need to deputize Teresa, MRSc2u and Varmit and the fore... (sorry, still laughing about Teresa's "old geezers on the golf course" video....) the four of you go after those %*#*%&#@!... guns a blazin'... (using blanks of course). That should scare the pee-wadden out of them. Hmmmm.... on second thought, maybe you'd better leave the "deputys" at home. They might have it in mind to use the real stuff.
Fred Phelps just needs for a big burly gay guy to give him his justice.
(http://images.clipartof.com/thumbnails100/22145-Clipart-Illustration-Of-A-Yellow-Emoticon-Face-With-A-Surprised-Expression-And-Bangs.jpg)
SALLY!~~~~ I'm shocked....
;D
I have to agree with greatguns. I live close to Houston so we should be able to find a few big burly gays her, I would even be glad to drive them to Kansas. I have never shot a gun of any kind but I would like to be part of Teresa's posse.
Well~ We'll just have to give you a few shootin' lessons. Its not hard.. just have to squeeze the trigger and not flinch.. and never take your eye off the target. ;)
Understand.. we won't be using bullets..( I'm not going to jail for any scumbag loser)..
but we will be using paintballs and paintball guns.. same principle in shooting.. and we will each have our own personal colors.,. so credit can be given when a solid hit is made..
Those things HURT too.. so aim for the good stuff. ;D
paintballs??....Would definetly be more fun if you froze them first.
Quote from: Varmit on December 08, 2010, 10:13:18 AM
paintballs??....Would definetly be more fun if you froze them first.
Real simple, just use nitrogen instead of CO2 in your canisters. You can fill them with nitrogen where you get paintball supplies. The nitrogen will freeze the balls.
Bad language in this one, don't play it too loud :laugh:
Finally a real good definition of Socialism shared misery. I'll be using it. Also love the guns. Sign me up for the Posse as well.