Inasmuch as 15 years is cruel and unusual punishment for cutting a person's beard or hair, regardless of the motivation for such action, Judge Polster's sentencing was obviously excessive. In an attempt to protect the First Amendment the Judge clearly violated the Eighth. Though there can be no doubt that Samuel Mullet Sr. did commit assault, he and his followers do not deserve this excessive punishment.
This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.
