Jake Warner is Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom. From ADF's press release yesterday: 303 Creative v. Elenis | ADFMedia.org
To conclude a lawsuit brought by Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys, the state of Colorado has agreed to pay more than $1.5 million in attorneys’ fees for violating the First Amendment rights of graphic artist Lorie Smith and her design studio, 303 Creative. This fee settlement comes after the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis upholding free speech for all Americans and the district court’s final judgment requiring Colorado officials to comply with the First Amendment and allow Smith to speak consistently with her beliefs.
Colorado officials threatened and censored Smith’s speech for nearly seven years before she was victorious at the high court. They have also relentlessly pursued other Colorado artists—like cake designer Jack Phillips—for years, filing complaints against him for expressing only messages consistent with his religious beliefs.