Christian baker's appeal denied by Colorado Supreme Court
The Colorado Supreme Court has denied the appeal of Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips, who was previously found guilty of breaking the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission.
The court's decision, given on Monday, April 25, stated that "after review of the record, briefs, and the judgment of said Court of Appeals, IT IS ORDERED that said Petition for Writ of Certiorari shall be, and the same hereby is, denied."
The court supports an earlier ruling that Phillips cannot use his religious beliefs or right to free speech in order to refuse baking wedding cakes for gay couples.
In 2012, gay couple David Mullins and Charlie Craig went to Phillips' bakeshop and ordered a cake for their wedding. Phillips turned them down, saying it was against his religious beliefs to do so. He added that he had previously refused other clients for the same reason.
The gay couple filed a case against him, and in 2013, he was found guilty of breaking discrimination laws. In 2014, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission declared that the bakery violated the CADA. The commission also ordered Phillips to undergo sensitivity training, which his lawyer said was "vague."
"This is the problem where a bunch of lay people are making decisions about someone's livelihood and other people's jobs where the state has decided, has told Mr. Phillips, you don't have any First Amendment rights," Phillips' lawyer, Nicolle Martin, told the Christian Post.
In 2015, Phillips filed an appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals. His appeal, which was discussed after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its ruling regarding same-sex marriage, was rejected.
The commission said that although Phillips accepted orders for birthday cakes and other products from gay clients, it did not nullify the fact that he broke the CADA when he refused to bake a gay wedding cake, particularly when he made wedding cakes for other clients.
"Masterpiece's potential compliance with CADA in this respect does not permit it to refuse services to Craig and Mullins that it otherwise offers to the general public," the commission said, according to Fox 31 Denver.
