Ky. appeals court upholds convictions of strict Amish who won't put SMV signs on buggies

A strict Amish sect's religious beliefs about symbols and colors do not deserve more protection than motorists who might smash into horse-drawn buggies lacking orange-red triangle signs that states require for slow-moving vehicles, the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled yesterday. (Photo by Matt Schorr, Mayfield Messenger)

"The freedom to express and exercise one’s religious beliefs is held in high esteem. However, such practices cannot infringe on the rights and safety of the public at large," said the unanimous decision by a three-judge panel, upholding the 2008 misdemeanor convictions of nine Amish men in Graves County, in far Western Kentucky. Their American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky lawyer said they would discuss an appeal to the state Supreme Court.

The men are Old Order Swartzentruber Amish. "They sought alternative solutions, such as using lanterns or gray tape that is reflected in headlights, although neither approach would be effective in daylight and would be even less effective at twilight, when statistics show such accidents are more likely to occur, the court ruled," Peter Smith of The Courier-Journal reports. For his and our initial reports on the case and the Amish in the area, click here.