Colorado’s Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed on procedural grounds a lawsuit against a Christian baker who refused to bake a cake for a transgender woman. Justices declined to weigh in on the free speech issues that brought the case national attention.
Baker Jack Phillips was sued by attorney Autumn Scardina in 2017 after his Denver-area bakery refused to make a pink cake with blue frosting to celebrate her gender transition.
Justices said in the 6-3 majority opinion that Scardina had not exhausted her options to seek redress through another court before filing her lawsuit.
“We express no view on the merits of these claims,” Justice Melissa Hart wrote for the majority.
Phillips’ attorney, Jake Warner with the Arizona-based firm Alliance for Defending Freedom, had argued before the high court that the baker’s actions were protected free speech and that whatever Scardina said she was going to do with the cake mattered for his rights.
Warner said Tuesday that his client had been pursued and mocked for years by those who disagreed with him.
“Enough is enough,“ Warner said. ”Jack has been dragged through courts for over a decade. It’s time to leave him alone.”
Scardina’s attorney, John McHugh, expressed disappointment and said he was evaluating if there were any remaining legal options.
Hellbound and Down 