According to Justice Kennedy inward Masterpiece Cakeshop, the bakery was "entitled to ... neutral in addition to respectful consideration of his claims." But, inward low-cal of Smith, why? Consider a hypothetical persuasion by the Colorado Commission that said, "We are deeply sympathetic to your claims, but -- inward our catch unfortunately -- the Colorado legislature has denied us the powerfulness to brand an exception from the full general dominion that all trouble concern owners may non discriminate, in addition to Smith informs us that such a blanket dominion is constitutionally permissible." Now suppose that i fellow member of the Commission adds a course of pedagogy persuasion saying, "I disagree alongside my colleagues on that point. I am non at all sympathetic to your claims, in addition to I am quite happy that the Colorado legislature has denied us the powerfulness to brand an exception." I don't mean value that such a contention could maybe override Smith's applicability.
So, it seems to me, Justice Kennedy is (implicitly) assuming that the Commission has the power, nether Colorado law, to brand a discretionary exception to the otherwise full general law. But then, it's non quite right to tell that the Commission has to laissez passer on the baker's claim (merely) "respectful consideration." Rather, nether the rationale the Smith Court used to save the holdings inward the unemployment compensation cases, the Commission would get got to employ a Sherbert v. Verner-like test, which -- I mean value -- places a pollex on the scales inward favor of the claimant. It's inward this feel that Rick Hills's suggestion that Masterpiece Cakeshop might stand upwards for "the fraying of Smith" makes unopen to feel -- except for the possibility that dry reason anti discrimination commissions mightiness say, "No, our state's police pull is genuinely general, in addition to does non let us to brand discretionary exceptions."
Some additional observations: (1) That the interpretation of Colorado's police pull is implicit is pretty hitting (if my analysis is correct), in addition to belike does suggest, every bit Hills implies, that many Justices don't get got Smith all that seriously, (2) Even if the outcome is an endeavor to restrict the resultant pretty narrowly, i mightiness get got hoped for a flake to a greater extent than rigor inward the opinion. (3) But then, no i actually thinks that Justice Kennedy is a rigorous legal analyst -- he exactly happens to survive the jurist who sits inward the oculus of theCourt's spectrum, thence his gauzy thinking becomes our constitutional law.
So, it seems to me, Justice Kennedy is (implicitly) assuming that the Commission has the power, nether Colorado law, to brand a discretionary exception to the otherwise full general law. But then, it's non quite right to tell that the Commission has to laissez passer on the baker's claim (merely) "respectful consideration." Rather, nether the rationale the Smith Court used to save the holdings inward the unemployment compensation cases, the Commission would get got to employ a Sherbert v. Verner-like test, which -- I mean value -- places a pollex on the scales inward favor of the claimant. It's inward this feel that Rick Hills's suggestion that Masterpiece Cakeshop might stand upwards for "the fraying of Smith" makes unopen to feel -- except for the possibility that dry reason anti discrimination commissions mightiness say, "No, our state's police pull is genuinely general, in addition to does non let us to brand discretionary exceptions."
Some additional observations: (1) That the interpretation of Colorado's police pull is implicit is pretty hitting (if my analysis is correct), in addition to belike does suggest, every bit Hills implies, that many Justices don't get got Smith all that seriously, (2) Even if the outcome is an endeavor to restrict the resultant pretty narrowly, i mightiness get got hoped for a flake to a greater extent than rigor inward the opinion. (3) But then, no i actually thinks that Justice Kennedy is a rigorous legal analyst -- he exactly happens to survive the jurist who sits inward the oculus of theCourt's spectrum, thence his gauzy thinking becomes our constitutional law.
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