Amish Hate-Crime Defendants Reject Deal, Risk 20+ Years in Prison

Written by Don Byrd
A group of 16 defendants, charged with hate crimes for assaulting and forcibly cutting the hair of fellow Amish they believed were not properly observant, will take their chances at trial. They rejected a deal offered by the government for two years in prison in exchange for a guilty plea.

International Religious Freedom Report Released

Written by Don Byrd
The U.S. State Department today issued the annual International Religious Freedom Report for 2011. Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook remarked that the report highlights “increasing intolerance against a range of religious communities.”