One of the oddest crimes in recent history has now reached the trial stage:
Jury selection began today in the hate crimes trial of Samuel Mullet Sr. and 15 followers of his breakaway sect, who are accused of forcibly cutting the beards and hair of other Amish men and women.
U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster began the morning interviewing 81 people in the jury pool, asking them their views on whether the government has the right to file charges based on religion, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.
The defendants have maintained the alleged attacks were a matter of internal discipline and not connected to any religious bias. All 16 defendants have pleaded not guilty, many rejecting plea deals that would have sent them to prison for two to three years.
I have trouble with hate crimes in general, and when the alleged offenses are committed by some members of a religious group against other members of the same group, that label seems especially problematic. I read in a different story that one of the defense attorneys said it was more like a "family feud," and that sounds about right.
Haircut offenses. Mullet. Heh.
