Designer’s Lawyer: Court Win ‘for Every American’

Matt Sharp, the lawyer for Colorado web designer Lorie Smith, told Newsmax Friday that the Supreme Court’s ruling that his client can refuse to design wedding websites for same-sex couples is a win “for every American.”

“This was a strong 6-3 decision, where the court affirmed that the Constitution protects all Americans, including Lorie, from being coerced by the government to speak messages, to create expressive content and ideas, that violate their beliefs,” Sharp said during an appearance on “National Report.”

“The court brought up some great analogies,” he said. “Would we force a Muslim website designer to design one for Christianity or an LGBT individual to design something opposing same-sex marriage? And that’s why this win for Lorie is not just for her case, but it truly is for every American that worries about the government one day coming against them to force them to speak a message that they disagree with.”

Delivered on Friday, the decision is a victory for religious freedom and one of several cases in recent years in which the court has ruled in favor of a religious plaintiff. The court sided with a football coach last year, for example, who prayed after games on the field of his public high school.

Responding to the dissent from the high court’s liberal justices, who claimed the court granted a public business a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class, Sharp said, “It’s simply wrong.”

“As the majority opinion noted, and even Colorado stipulated, Lorie serves people from all walks of life,” he said. “This was never about denying the who. It’s focused on the message. It’s what are you asking me to speak? Are you asking me to create something that I disagree with? Are you asking me to speak a message that violates my beliefs about political or religious or other issues?”

“The dissent is simply wrong in its analysis,” he continued. “The majority got it right that this is a protection for everyone to ensure that the government can’t come into their business, their home, their place of work and tell them what they must and must not speak.”

When asked about his client’s reaction, Sharp said Smith was “very excited about it” and “very grateful for the court to vindicate her rights and the rights of every American to be free from government coercion.”

“This has been a seven-year battle with her that she’s lived under the fear of Colorado coming against her, imposing fines, as the court described, even forcing her to go through reeducation because of her beliefs,” he said.