The U.S. Supreme Court is tossing out lower court rulings in a lawsuit against an Oregon bakery which refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding based on the religious beliefs of the bakers. Those lower court rulings found the refusal of service violated the same-sex couple's rights.
Melissa and Aaron Klein, owners of the now-closed Sweet Cakes bakery in Portland, ended up paying a $135-thousand judgment to the lesbian couple in 2013.
The justices' action on Monday also keeps this high-profile case off the court's calendar in an election year.
The Oregon case is similar to a Colorado case that the high court ruled on last year. In that case a divided court ruled narrowly in favor of a baker who also refused service to a same-sex couple on religious grounds.
The justices already have agreed to rule on whether federal civil rights law protects people from job discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Oregon Court Of Appeals Upholds Sweet Cakes Fine
By Brad Ford