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.

Prosecutors say a feud over church discipline led to attacks last year in which the beards and hair of men and hair of women were cut, an act considered deeply offensive in Amish culture. The Amish believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards and stop shaving once they marry.
...
The defendants, led by Sam Mullet Sr., told the judge they understand the risks of trial, including lengthy prison terms if convicted.

The plea bargains would have given many defendants sentences of two to three years in prison instead of the possibility of 20 years or more. Several might have been eligible for parole.

When does acceptable internal church discipline become criminal behavior? Typically, courts refuse to enter matters of faith or church discipline, because it would require a judge to make improper theological determinations. I remember a case from a few years ago in which a Texas pastor revealed to his church a congregant's extramarital affair, which she thought had been confessed privately in a safe counseling session. The state's Supreme Court accepted his argument that the disclosure was a matter of church discipline, and was not an appropriate case for adjudication regarding his professional negligence.

But what if the internal church discipline takes the form of a physical assault? What if some member of your faith decided you were not properly observant, and subjected you to such discipline?