Amish Gone Wild! Eight Men Arrested And Booked In Kentucky: See The Mug Shots

Sep. 16 2011, Published 10:30 a.m. ET

Usually the Amish are known as peaceful law abiding citizens — but a “rogue & lawless” group has sprung up in Kentucky and RadarOnline.com has their mug shots.

So what terrible crime was committed? The eight men were busted for refusing to attach bright orange safety triangles on the back of their traditional horse drawn carriages.

Not so much “rogue & lawless” really then.

The men, named as David Zook, Eli Zook, Menno Zook, Mose Yoder, Levi Hostetler, Jacob Gingerich, Emanuel Yoder and Danny Byler, cited their religious beliefs for refusing to obey the order.

Article continues below advertisement

They all belong to the ultraconservative Old Order Swartzentruber Amish sect in western Kentucky and said the bright orange reflector goes against their modesty codes and that they would rather be hauled behind bars than violate their beliefs.

The men appeared in court Monday and after they refused to pay court-imposed fines they were sentenced to between three and 10 days in jail.

The eight chose jail time over paying the fine because they felt that paying up would be “amount to complying with a law they believe violates their religious strictures against wearing bright colors or trusting in manmade symbols for their safety.”

“I don’t think it’s right to put somebody in jail for practicing their religious beliefs … but that’s what we’ll do if that’s what it takes to abide by the biblical laws,” Levi Zook told the Courier-Journal.

Zook ended up escaping serving any time in jail though, the Courier-Journal reported, because his friend paid the fine on his behalf so the father could get home to care for his son who has cerebal palsy.