Topeka police are looking into two suspicious packages found at Westboro Baptist Church Thursday morning. Shortly before 10 o'clock, an officer investigating a vandalism report noticed the packages.

The Topeka Police Bomb Unit examined the devices and found them to be "small, homemade firecrackers." Twelfth St. at Orleans was closed while officers and a K-9 unit investigated, before finally reopening around 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, a Baltimore jury awarded Albert Snyder, the father of a Marine killed in Iraq, nearly 11 million dollars in his suit against the Westboro Baptist Church. He sued after church members protested at last year's funeral for his son, who was killed in Iraq.

The church says the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq are a punishment for America's tolerance of homosexuality.

Snyder told NBC's "Today'' show that the case "wasn't about the money.'' He says it was to set a precedent, so other people could sue the group. He adds that his son died fighting for freedom for Iraqis, but not for hate speech.

After the verdict, church members vowed to continue picketing funerals with signs that say ``Thank God for dead soldiers'' and "God hates fags.''

They even claimed the large sum awarded by a federal jury has given it a new slogan: "Thank God for $10.9 million."

Snyder of York, Pa., sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.

The federal jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.

Snyder's attorney, Craig Trebilcock, had urged jurors to determine an amount "that says don't do this in Maryland again. Do not bring your circus of hate to Maryland again."

The defense said it planned to appeal, and one of the church's leaders, Shirley Phelps-Roper, said the members would continue to picket military funerals.

"Absolutely; don't you understand this was an act in futility?" Phelps-Roper said.

Snyder claimed the protests intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event.

The church members testified they are following their religious beliefs by spreading the message that soldiers are dying because the nation is too tolerant of homosexuality.

Their attorneys maintained in closing arguments Tuesday that the burial was a public event and that even abhorrent points of view are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.

A number of states have passed laws regarding funeral protests, and Congress has passed a law prohibiting such protests at federal cemeteries. But the Maryland lawsuit is believed to be the first filed by the family of a fallen serviceman.

The church and three of its leaders — Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Phelps-Roper and Rebekah Phelps-Davis, 46 — were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.

The group is confident the award will be overturned on appeal, Phelps said

"Oh, it will take about five minutes to get that thing reversed," he said.

Earlier, church members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse. Phelps held a sign reading "God is your enemy," while Phelps-Roper stood on an American flag and carried a sign that read "God hates fag enablers." Members of the group sang "God Hates America" to the tune of "God Bless America."

Snyder sobbed when he heard the verdict, while members of the church greeted the news with tightlipped smiles.

It was unclear whether the plaintiffs would be able to collect the damages awarded.

Before the jury began deliberating the size of punitive damages, U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted that the size of the compensatory award "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court.

Defense lawyer Jonathan Katz said the church has about 75 members and is funded by tithing.

The defense attorney said that the assets of the church and the three defendants are less than a million dollars and that the compensatory award is about three times the defendants' net worth, mainly in homes, cars and retirement accounts.

One of Snyder's attorneys, Sean Summers, said he would tirelessly seek payment of the award.

"We will chase them forever if it takes that long," Summers said.

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