Faithful baker goes to court to protect her business California officials in state appeals court for targeting baker’s Christian faith

WASHINGTON – A Christian baker will be in California state court next week to protect her ability to operate her bakery in accordance with her faith. In California Department of Civil Rights v. Tastries, Cathy Miller wants to continue serving her local Bakersfield community at her bakery, Tastries, a vision she brought to life over a decade ago. However, California opened an investigation into Miller after she explained to a same-sex couple that her faith did not allow her to personally design their wedding cake. For over six years, California has repeatedly compared Miller’s religious beliefs about marriage to racism and argued that Miller’s beliefs harm “the dignity of all Californians.” Now Becket, LiMandri & Jonna LLP, and the Thomas More Society are asking the court to protect Miller’s right to run her bakery in a way that is consistent with her beliefs. 

As a faithful Christian and owner of Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield, California, Cathy Miller has custom-designed baked goods for over a decade. Miller believes that her bakery is “God’s business,” her bakery’s mission statement is to “honor God in all that we do,” and her Christian faith influences everything from the Bible verses she puts on her business cards to the music she plays in the shop. Since 2017, however, the California Civil Rights Department has forced Miller into court because she will not personally design wedding cakes that go against her religious beliefs, including those that violate the Christian sacrament of marriage. In 2023, a California Superior Court judge ruled that Miller cannot be forced to personally design a wedding cake that violates her faith. California then appealed the decision to a state appeals court. 

What: 
Oral Argument in Civil Rights Department of California v. Tastries

 Arguing before the court: 
Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket   

When: 
December 17, 2024, at approximately 10 a.m. PT 

Where: 
Fifth District Court of Appeal
2424 Cesar Chavez Blvd
Fresno, California, 93721

Link to livestream: https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/district-courts/5dca/oral-argument-calendars 

Becket attorneys will be available for comment following the hearing. 

For more information or to arrange an interview with a Becket attorney, contact Ryan Colby at [email protected] or 202-349-7219.