ASHLAND — Twenty-six Amish who refused to pay their fines for violating a law that requires flashing lights on their buggies appeared in court on Friday.
Once there, Ashland Municipal Court Judge John Good ruled out the possibility of jail time for them and instead said he would impose liens on their real estate.
GALLERY: 26 Amish appear in court for buggy light fines
The Amish were ticketed for violating the buggy law last fall and pleaded no contest to their charges, incurring fines and court costs.
At multiple hearings in January, they refused to pay their fines, citing their religion, and a few indicated they would rather go to jail.Â
On Thursday, Good told them that while they may prefer jail, an Ohio Supreme Court case prohibits him jailing defendants that refuse to pay fines for non-jailable offenses.
"I've tried to be patient, but now it's to the point where you have pushed the court up against the wall to where I have to decide that I'm either gonna let this go or I'm gonna do everything in my power to affect the fines and costs like I would in any other case involving any other citizen in Ashland County," he said.
In lieu of jail time, Good could put warrant blocks on their driver's licenses or send their fines out to collection, but he doubted the Amish "would care about that," he said.Â
He could also keep holding hearings every 30 days until they pay. Instead, he told them he will place a judgement lien on their real estate if they haven't paid their fines or done community service before their next hearings in May.Â
"That's an option that's very attractive to the court and I've decided I'm gonna pursue it," he said.
The liens would accrue interest until the fines are paid off, Good added.
After Good briefed the defendants on his reasoning, he sent them out of the court room and called each of them in individually. Around 30 Amish spectators that came to offer their support were allowed to stay in the court room for each case.
One by one, each of the 26 Amish approached the podium and told Good that while they could pay their fines, they are choosing not to due to religious reasons.Â
One man, Harvey J. Hostetler, presented Good with a handwritten letter, which the judge read aloud.
"The reason I did not pay my fine is for religious reasons. (In) the Ten Commandments verses it says we must honor thy father and thy mother. My dad is 81 years old, and remembers, 60-plus years ago, they had a similar case and the elders thought it too worldly, and we still feel the same way," he wrote.
In response, Good told Hostetler that if he had a constitutional objection to the buggy law, he should challenge it in court.Â
Throughout the hearings, Good — who at times expressed his own discomfort with having to punish the Amish for adhering to their religious beliefs -- asked a few of the defendants what they suggest he should do.
Most of them said they didn't know, but the last defendant of the day, William Zook, had a suggestion to make.
"Pray," he said.
"It's the best advice I've gotten all day, Mr. Zook," Good said.