NOT A HATE CRIME FOR THE JUST-US SET
HATE CRIME FOR CHRISTIAN SECTS
Posted on 02/08/2013 5:14:33 PM PST by daniel1212
CLEVELAND—Denying he ran an Amish cult, the 67-year-old ringleader of hair- and beard-cutting attacks on fellow members of his faith in Ohio was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison, while family members convicted of carrying out his orders got one to seven years.
The judge said the defendants had violated the constitutional rights protecting religious practice that had also benefited them as Amish. Authorities had prosecuted the attacks as a hate crime.
Before his sentencing, Samuel Mullet Sr. told the judge he had been accused of running a cult. Mullet, his ankles in chains and a white beard down to mid-chest, said that if his community is seen as a cult, "Then I'm going to take the punishment for everybody."...
The government had asked for a life sentence for Mullet, while the defense asked for two years or less.
Some defendants tearfully offered to take the brunt of the blame and punishment on behalf of Mullet or their spouses. Addressing the judge one by one, they said there would be no more beard-cutting attacks.
Freeman Burkholder, the 32-year-old husband of a Mullet niece and father of eight children, apologized to the judge.
"I won't do it again," he said.
Anna Miller, 33, married to a Mullet nephew and mother of six, also apologized, turning to relatives of victims as she said, "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
Federal prosecutor Bridget Brennan urged the judge to punish Mullet adequately.
"He is a danger to this community," she said. "He is capable of controlling 15 defendants."...
Rhonda Kotnik, attorney for Kathryn Miller, a 24-year-old mother of three who received a one-year sentence, said appeals would focus on whether the hate-crimes law is unconstitutionally broad and whether restraining the victims to cut their beards amounted to kidnapping.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
NOT A HATE CRIME FOR THE JUST-US SET
HATE CRIME FOR CHRISTIAN SECTS
oh balogna. free the amish.
rofl
I got off on a technicality. Besides, the judge said she looked better without the beard.
/johnny
So how many years are Obama & Seibelius going to get?
Amish believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards once they marry. Cutting it would be shameful and offensive
It looks like she needs a free house and could hate me.
/johnny
lol
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.