FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2011, file photo, Samuel Mullet Sr. stands in front of his home in Bergholz, Ohio. The leader of a breakaway group accused in hair- and beard-cutting attacks on fellow Amish in 2011, Samuel Mullet Sr., currently in federal prison in Elkton, Ohio, and two of the 15 followers sentenced in the case have asked for a U.S. Supreme Court review, in a petition filed in September 2016. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)

Federal judge re-affirms sentence in Amish hair-cutting case

CLEVELAND – The leader of a breakaway Amish group in Ohio convicted in hair- and beard-cutting attacks has lost an attempt to appeal his sentence in federal court.

An attorney for 72-year-old Samuel Mullet Sr. argues that Mullet’s previous lawyer made mistakes.

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster disagreed Wednesday, concluding that those alleged errors weren’t prejudicial and that Mullet wasn’t denied a fair trial.

A message seeking comment on the decision was left Thursday for Mullet’s current lawyer.

Defence attorneys say the 2011 hair- and beard-cutting attacks stemmed from family disputes. Prosecutors say the motive was religious, as hair and beards have spiritual significance in the Amish faith.

Mullet is serving a sentence of about 11 years. Of the 16 Amish community members convicted in the case, only Mullet remains imprisoned.

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Abbey Westbury

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