Supreme Court’s in session with Gorsuch on board, gay wedding cake case on deck
And one of the most closely watched cases this term will be Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Two of the most precious rights Americans possess are the right to express themselves freely and the right to practice their religion as they see fit. Both are enshrined in the First Amendment . But these rights are not absolute, and sometimes may clash with a duty toward others. Masterpiece Cakeshop is a case that will test these limits. It started in July 2012. Charlie Craig and David Mullins asked Jack Phillips, who owned the Masterpiece Cakeshop, to create a custom wedding cake to celebrate their same-sex marriage. Phillips refused, saying he didn’t want to promote a same-sex wedding due to his religious beliefs . Craig and Mullins filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The Commission decided against Phillips, declaring he had discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. The Commission ordered the cakeshop to change its policie