When the First Amendment Compels an Offensive Result: Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission

• Author: James Hart
• Pages: 419-440

Louisiana Law Review

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When the First Amendment Compels an O!ensive

Result: Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado

Civil Rights Commission

James Hart

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When the First Amendment Compels an Offensive

Result: Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil

Rights Commission

James Hart*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .................................................................................. 419

I. Facts of Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil

Rights Commission ....................................................................... 420

II. Background .................................................................................. 422

III. Craig v. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Inc. ........................................... 425

IV. Freedom of Speech Clause Analysis ............................................ 427

A. A Celebratory Wedding Cake is Speech ................................ 427

B. Mr. Phillips Was Forced to Carry a Compelled

Message Against His Wishes ................................................. 430

C. The Division Engaged in Viewpoint Restriction

in its Application of CADA ................................................... 432

V. The Marketplace of Ideas ............................................................. 437

Conclusion .................................................................................... 438

INTRODUCTION

Freedom of thought and speech are the essence of the American

experiment. That the First Amendment protects both offensive thought and

speech is the price of democracy.

1

This Article addresses Masterpiece

Copyright 2018, by JAMES HART.

* T he author would like to dedicate this Article to his Constitutional Law

students; docendo discimus.

1

. See generally R.A.V. v. St. Paul, 505 U.S. 377 (1992).