Geauga County Sheriff Files Charges Following Large Amish Party

Authorities in Geauga County, Ohio are filing charges after breaking up a party of over 100 people. Via FOX8:

GEAUGA (WJW) – The Fox 8 I-Team has learned the Geauga County Sheriff’s office arrested one, issued a summons for another, and charged two with underage drinking, following a large Amish party this weekend.

Deputies were sent to a home on Bundysburg Road in Huntsburg Township shortly after midnight Sunday. A man called 9-1-1 to report the large party.

“When we got there, there was a barn full of people some of them ran,” said Geauga Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand. “There was one that was too intoxicated to run and that person had to be transported by ambulance.”

We’ve been hearing a lot about Geauga County in the news lately.

This is where non-Amish neighbors reported Amish for allegedly breaking the stay-at-home order.

A few days after that story was filed, health inspectors cited Amish for violating the gathering limit at a wedding reception.

Hildebrand told the station he wouldn’t turn a blind eye to the parties: “If we get calls, or find out about them, we will go there, break them up and get them out of there. We won’t tolerate this and we have to keep everybody safe.”

This isn’t the only party broken up in the community lately. A sheriff’s report from April 5 records a gathering of “75-90 Amish having a party, loud music”.

The excuse given in that report was “Homeowner stated he thought the stay-home order was only for the elderly.”

That defense appears to still be in use two weeks later:

“Their standard answer right now is to say they thought the rules only applied to older people,” Hildenbrand said. “We’ve heard that several times. I don’t know if they really believe that or if they’re just using that as an excuse.”

This most recent party occurred several days after the county Health Commissioner wrote to the bishops “informing them they are noticing an increase in COVID-19 cases in the Amish community.”

At the same time, Sheriff Hildenbrand stated that “I think the majority of them (Amish) are complying, they understand it (stay-at-home orders),”…”Many of the churches are not holding services or if they do they are holding them outside, which they are allowed to do.”

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    7 Comments

    1. J.O.B.

      Mixed feelings on Amish

      What a line! Oh, “we thought it was for the elderly.” (stay at home order)

      Right. Yeah. ok.

      This is why I developed mixed feelings on the Amish.

      Years ago, I had a romantic view of them.

      After getting to know them over the years, I learned that many are just regular people who know how to use Amish to their advantage. Like dress Amish for work, then put on regular clothes when they get home. The Amish ‘look’ helps make money at farmers markets or from tourists.

      The parents know exactly whats going on. Many did the same in their youth, and quietly encourage or look the other way on such late night activities.

      The language. The gossip. The pre-marital “relations.”

      Obviously, not all are like this. But I’ve seen so many, parents included, who do things that I didnt think Amish would/should do.

      You only hear about these parties when they make the news or you live around some of them. It’s common.

      Again, not all are like this. I’ve just seen many who use the Amish angle for personnal gain.

    2. Geo

      Trouble

      J.O.B.’s post has me thinking of the musical Music Man. “Yes sir we got trouble. Right her in River City.” With a capital T.

      1. J.O.B.

        Mixes feelings

        It’s funny til you see how an Amish girl becomes pregnant on a one-night stand. Is taken advantage of due to inexperiance in certain social gatherings. How locals target Amish women for bragging rights..

        Some Amish know that their image, gives them a chance to get away with certain things. This party is just a little example. “We thought it was for the elderly.”

        Part of the problem is how some people are quick to dismiss certain behavior because they insist on maintaing a romantic image of them.

        And parties like this can contradict the point of being Amish.
        If you want to party, get drunk, use drugs, fool around, ok. Enjoy.

        But you are not fooling us by acting quiet the next day when I saw you last night cursing and trying to sleep with some girl you were trying to get drunk.

        1. J.O.B.

          Mixed feelings

          Again, there are a lot of really, really nice people who are Amish. A lot!

          But there is another side of the Amish that can be talked about. There are more than a few who may not fit the romantic image some may have of them.

    3. Anonymous

      Exempt

      Why is Amish Attitude Exempt towards the Stay @ Home, due to Covid-19. Obviously, their Neighbors (Taxis them) are probably stay at home, until the Gov. says otherwise)
      Therefore, if the Amish can’t Cooperate, under Emergency Circumstance, how would they get to the Super Market Faster, w/io a flip phone. Some Amish are permitted flip phones only. for Business.

    4. Miller of Canada

      Throw the book at them.

      Can you imagine such ignorance? These “youth” need to have the book thrown at them with a heavy fine and maybe a little jail time. They knew exactly what they were doing. Shame on every one of them. The law is for the lawless, and they were certainly being lawless. That wild, disrespectful spirit needs to be tamed. I hope the Bishops will deal with this also, and deal with it sharply. Many of us are simply ashamed of such ignorance and lawlessness. WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC, a life and death pandemic.

    5. Jerry

      Kids will be kids

      Two weeks ago the police near here (South Central PA) found 125 kids having a party in a state forest. They broke it up and one person arrested. These kids were NOT Amish.