A pastor and his controversial anti-gay church have hired a prominent First Amendment attorney from Maryland to defend them against a defamation lawsuit a father of a Westminster Marine filed against the church for demonstrating at his son’s funeral.

The Rev. Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church hired Jonathan Katz, a Silver Spring lawyer, to respond to Albert Snyder, of York, Pa., who sued the Topeka, Kan., church in June after they demonstrated at the Westminster funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder and posted pictures of the protest on their Web site.

“Defamation lawsuits are totally incompatible with the First Amendment,” Katz told The Examiner on Monday.

“I represent people from the far left and far right and everyone in between.”

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Westboro Baptist Church members said they believe God is punishing Americans for their tolerance of homosexuals by killing U.S. troops in Iraq, according to the organization’s Web site.

“One might expect some lawyers would refuse to take Defendants’ case, to avoid associating with a client that allegedly publicly proclaims hatred of homosexuals,” a motion Katz filed in U.S. District Court reads. “Undersigned counsel fully welcomes fighting for Defendants in this litigation. ...”

Katz, along with former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, represented Plowshare peace activists who were charged with breaking through a fence at a Maryland Air National Guard Base in Essex in December 1999 and damaging two A-10 “Warthog” jet assault planes to protest the use of depleted uranium, according to his Web site.

Katz said he also has represented members of the adult entertainment industry and demonstrators who protested against the International Monetary Fund.

Sean Summers, one of the lawyers representing Snyder, said this is the first lawsuit against the church stemming from a military funeral.

Summers said he is glad the church has hired an attorney so the case can move forward.

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com