The infamous "Mullet" clan
Samuel Mullet Sr., the domineering leader of a renegade Amish sect, and 15 of his followers were convicted on Thursday in Cleveland of federal conspiracy and hate crimes for a series of bizarre beard- and hair-cutting attacks last fall that spread fear through the Amish of eastern Ohio.
Attorneys for a group of Amish men and women found guilty of hate crimes for cutting the hair and beards of fellow members of their faith are arguing that the group’s conviction, sentencing and imprisonment in separate facilities across the country violates their constitutional rights and amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, according to recent court filings.
The arrest and trial of the Mullet clan was far and away the best religion story of the last couple of years. I mean no disrespect to the victims, who suffered the terrible trauma of a free trim, but the real reason I’m sorry the attacks occurred is because a crime of faith so Pythonesque and preposterous won’t soon be equaled, let alone topped.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/us/jury-convicts-amish-group-of-hate-crimes.html?_r=0
http://moralcompassblog.com/category/amish/
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4786739/amish-leader-jailed-hair-cutting-attacks.html
AN AMISH sect leader has been jailed for 15 years for a series of bizarre beard-cutting attacks in the US.
Samuel Mullet and 15 scissor-wielding followers burst into the homes of other Amish and chopped off victims’ hair and beards.
