Eau Claire County issues order for Amish family to leave home

WEAU TV ^ | Thu 6:28 PM, Mar 26, 2015 | Jessica Bringe

[so_real]

FAIRCHILD, Wis. (WEAU) - An Amish family in Fairchild now has a sign on their home ordering them to leave.

The court order for Amos and Vera Borntreger, along with their four young children, is for violating Eau Claire County building codes.

The family claims those codes go against their religious beliefs.

The county put up the sign, Thursday, around noon.

The penalty for not obeying that sign by leaving their home could be $2,000 dollars for every day they stay or jail time.

A group of about ten from the Amish community were gathered when the county delivered the order to the home.

Amos Borntreger tells WEAU it was all done very peacefully, but says they're not leaving.

A friend of the Amish community, John Czech, was at the house, Thursday. He says he supports the family's stand.

“I personally think that's wrongful and corrupt to make them follow beliefs against their religion, that haven’t always been established but it's probably going to take something like this to put it on the legal books so they're not restricted in that way,” said Czech.

Borntreger also says he's feeling a little uneasy about the situation and just wants to take it one day at a time by following the legal path.

He adds they're now appealing the ruling to a higher court...

The county will now decide what comes next.

[so_real]

The judge participating in this most recent case of Amish persecution in Wisconsin is Judge Kristina Bourget. To my chagrin she was initially appointed to her seat by our Governor Walker. Now she aspires to win an election to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals on April 7th. She would become the judge to whom Amish families like this would place their hopes for appeal before. And she would dash their hopes. She has made it clear in this case she has no intention of protecting our Christian religious freedoms or the free exercise thereof. She has failed to understand the God given rights afforded us by our Constitution. Such an individual should not have a seat in a court of appeals. I would strongly caution my fellow Wisconsites against raising her to this next level. She is opposed on April 7th by Mark Seidl, and I for one would encourage all District III voters to get out the vote for him instead. Please do your diligence and consider protesting Bourget by voting for Seidl.

[rabidralph]

Thanks for the background.

[terycarl]

thank you for your input Mrs seidl

[so_real]

Quite welcome, and please help spread the word. April 7th will be here before we know it.

[so_real]

Funny! I have no affiliation with either campaign. I do, however, consider myself a friend to the Amish. And right now in Wisconsin, they need friends.

[RhoTheta]

Specifically, what building codes are they violating? Are they refusing to wire the house for electricity or communications? I would expect that any wiring would have to conform to code, but is absence of wiring a violation?

[Scrambler Bob]

Building permits are for revenue, and to reassess for future tax.

Building code is to protect future buyers, kind of.

Pay the tax, be forbidden from re-selling.

[Paladin2]

They could start camping out. The seasons are improving for such. Even in Wisc.

[Clint N. Suhks]

What building codes were against their beliefs?

[Paladin2]

Pic of Zer0 above the mantel....

[kitkat]

So, what’s different about this home from other, legal homes? Does anyone know?

[1010RD]

We need to reestablish property rights in this country. Your home is no longer your castle.

Dozens of petite tyrants rule your life.

It’s their house. Let them live in it how they want.

[Clint N. Suhks]

Ah, electricity or fire alarms? Telephone is obsolete with cell phones now I guess.

How do people build these cabins in the woods without any of that on the National Geographic channel?

[Clint N. Suhks]

Ovomit is against my beliefs too.

[Sherman Logan]

A remarkably inadequate article.

After some googling, it appears the question at issue is whether they will install, or sign permits agreeing to install, smoke and CO detectors.

[so_real]

This particular case revolves around requiring a building permit and code adherence that forces them to install electronic devices (smoke alarms), knowing that the Amish live without electricity and other modern conveniences as a practice of their religion. Therefore they would have no intention of installing such devices. But, it is also against the practice of their religion to lie. So, by force of law, they are being demanded to deny their religion by either installing electrical devices, or to lie by agreeing to install electrical devices with the intention of breaking their word. If you are familiar with the Amish ethics and honor, you know how trapped they feel.

[so_real]

That's the sad part ... in this case they'd be happy to sign the permit and pay the fee. It's not about the money. But their understanding is that in doing so they are "subject", which I'm given to understand is the verbiage on the building permit, to adhere to the building code which requires some modern conveniences -- the big one being the smoke detectors. That they cannot do.

[so_real]

Smoke alarms is the one spoken of most frequently. There was mention of something with the septic too, but I didn't catch the details. The number one cause of home fires is ... electrical wiring -- of which they have none! Once upon a time, no one had smoke alarms. We changed; they didn't.

[so_real]

You are absolutely correct regarding the thrust of the situation. The sidebar is that this judge is setting herself up to have oversight on appeals in cases like this. We know how she will rule, and it does not bode well for the free exercise of Christian religion. There's not much time to put a damper on her ambitions.

[Pelham]

bump