Prosecutor: Amish defendants aren't above the law

CLEVELAND (AP) — Each one of the hair- and-beard-cutting attacks against Amish men and women last fall was connected to one person, an Amish bishop who thought he was above the law and free to hand out punishment based on his religious beliefs, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.

And every one of the attacks carried out by members of a breakaway Amish group comes back to religion, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Parker said during closing arguments in the government’s hate crimes case.