Samuel Mullet Sr, 67, the renegade Amish leader will spend at least 15 years in prison for hate crimes against other Amish. Cleveland Judge Dan Polster sentenced Mullet on Friday. Mullet told the judge he accepts responsibilities for his crimes. Several Mullet followers will also face jail time for their involvement in Mullet’s hate crimes. His followers will face sentences from one to seven years in prison.
The prosecutor wanted Mullet to serve a life term while the defense asked for a lighter sentence of 2 years or less.
The renegade Amish group under Mullet was convicted last year for their 2011 crimes. The separatist Amish group had been accused of being a cult. The prosecution said the Mullet group attacked 5 other Amish groups who had either defied or denounced Mullet’s authoritarian views. Attacks included beard cutting and threats of violence.
Mullet abandoned conventional Amish beliefs in 1995 to follow stricter cultural rule.
The Amish believe in the Bible and that women are to let their hair growl long while men grown their beards after marriage. Prosecutors considered the crimes a hate crime since religious beliefs were the underlying reasons behind the attacks.
The prosecutor turned in several letters from concerned Amish families that feared retaliation from Mullet.
Amish communities are religious and follow the Bible. They are also known for their limited contact with the outside world. More information about this story can be found at WLWT Cincinnati News and the New York Times.
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