Filling the courtroom
Sixteen defendants – all members of a break-away Amish sect – pleaded not guilty in federal court in Cleveland to hate crime, kidnapping and conspiracy charges. Their case is linked to a dispute in which Sam Mullett Sr. and his followers are accused of cutting the hair and beards of Old Order Amish in a series of attacks last fall.  The indictments state the attacks were carried out to punish members of one sect for not following the religious teachings of bishop Samuel Mullet Sr. 

A half dozen young men in blue jeans and eleven women wearing identical green dresses and black scarves stood looking out the large windows from the 18^th floor of Carl Stokes Federal building in Cleveland. When the young Amish sat in the back of the courtroom a guard came over and ordered them to shutt off any cell phones. They just stared back silently.

In the hearing there was a lawyer for each defendant – so many that some had to stand or sit in the gallery. Seven men who are in prison, were marched in wearing bright orange jumpsuits, a clothing color they would normally consider immodest. 

New indictments
The four women released on bond were only indicted at the end of March on charges that they had aided others involved in assaults, undertaken over religious differences. Defense attorney Joe Dubyak says his client, Linda Schrock told him they are keeping their farms going without the men.

"I talked to my client and she's got her other members of her family and her children planting the crops in the field. They planted the oats and they are getting the corn ready.They are all pitching in, they are all working together. They have somebody conducting their religious services. So they all pull together.”

Dubyak said Judge Polster had to vary the usual orders that defendants and witnesses not talk to each at all.

“It’s kind of unusual here because we’ve got mothers and fathers and daughters and sons and that type of thing. Now they do talk as you heard the judge say. The judge said they can discuss other things other than the case.”

Defense challenges constitutionality
The defense has challenged the constitutionality of the federal hate law from which their clients were charged.  Judge Polster is expected to rule on that within the next two months.  

Other than the major question over the constitutionality of the Shepard Byrd Hate Act, this case seems relatively minor. No murders, no guns, no Las Vegas hookers. But Dubyak expects it to be very expensive.

One defense attorney, Joe Dubyak, predicted the case would cost millions of dollars

It’s going to be a long trial. It’s going to be an expensive trial. All 16 defendants are represented by court appointed attorneys. There are only four attorneys from Cleveland the other 12 are from Youngstown and Akron. The cost for them to travel up here, the cost of bringing them from the Youngstown Correction Facility - it’s very expensive.”

Judge Polster set a trial date of August 27.