Wisconsin's largest gay rights group was awarded $87,000 in attorneys' fees by a judge who scolded a Louisiana pastor and his lawyer for bringing a frivolous lawsuit claiming the group defamed him.
Grant Storms of the Reformer Ministries in Marrero, La., claimed in the lawsuit that Action Wisconsin defamed him by saying remarks he made at a 2003 anti-gay conference in Milwaukee advocated the murder of gays.
But in a ruling last week, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Patricia McMahon said the group's interpretation of the remarks was reasonable and the lawsuit lacked merit from the day it was filed in February 2004.
The judge also blasted Storms' lawyer, James Donohoo of Milwaukee, saying he should have known the complaint was a waste of time.
Storms was one of several speakers at the "International Conference on Homo-Fascism," a gathering of people who railed against gays.
Action Wisconsin obtained an audio recording of the conference and publicized remarks that the group said incited violence and hatred.
In his speech, Storms said gay rights' opponents should "start taking it to the streets." He mimicked gun fire: "Boom, boom, boom, boom. There's twenty! Ca-ching," according to a transcript.
Details here from the AP via the Duluth News Tribune.