Can the POTUS do anything about this I wonder?
No but congress can
POTUS cannot do anything about this. This is not an Article II situation, and really, we don’t want the POTUS to do anything about this. It’s simply not a Federal Executive power we want.
While POTUS can’t, I think SCOTUS already has helped Jack Phillips. A lot of people say that Phillips’ victory at SCOTUS was a Pyrrhic one, I disagree. The language of the ruling was intentionally narrow, to pretty much apply to the specific case before it. It was also written as the Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s denial of his procedural due process, not a denial of his substantive rights.
However, the language used in the majority opinion makes it clear that the Civil Rights Commission was prejudiced against his religious beliefs. The disparaging language used by members of the Commission comparing Phillips to Nazis speaks for itself. Unless the membership of the Commission has changed, the members showed personal malice and bias against Phillips’ religious beliefs that cannot be erased or ignored. There is no way they can rule against his claim of sincere religious belief and separate out their personal malice. In other words, the SCOTUS ruling gives him all the ammo he needs to show actual malice by the Commission in taking any action against him from this point forward.
And in a Federal District Court, that is pretty much a blank check for Phillips to sue for intentional deprivation of civil rights.
That’s my take anyway.
Yeah, it will reach them in about 8 years.
18 U.S. Code § 242 - Deprivation of rights under color of law
Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
Are you kidding? Of course he can’t.
I hope they have a Go Fund Me acct. Get a lawyer and sue for harassment.