The second day of jury deliberation is finished in the Amish
beard-cutting trial in Cleveland, Ohio, and as I suspected, the case
hinges on the prosecution's contention that the Mullets constitute a
break-away sect that is not truly Amish anymore.
That's the justification for the hate crime charge. Otherwise the
defense has maintained that the hair cutting was an internal church
matter, and the federal government has no business interfering with
religious liberty. What an interesting case! Link: Story by AP