An Amish buggy and horses were parked quietly outside the Grayson County Court House early Thursday morning while the owners were inside facing charges.

After a citation was issued by Leitchfield Police Officer Tim Moutartier to Joe Hostetler, of Park City, for failing to display the slow moving emblem on his Amish Buggy while driving it on city streets, Hostetler appeared in district court Thursday morning.

Hostetler argued that to put these emblems on his buggy would go against his religions beliefs.

That citation will sit in district court waiting for a decision by the higher court before any action is taken.

Because there are two similar cases currently awaiting a ruling from the Kentucky Court of Appeals, Grayson County Attorney Clay Ratley agreed to hold the case over until August.

“It just make sense to hold the case because the decision by the higher court will directly effect what happens in our court,” said Ratley. “We have received numerous complaints about the buggy’s not having the orange emblems on them but the buggies do have grey reflective tape on them.”

The Kentucky Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on March 24, in two appeals from a group of Amish men who say the state law requiring them to display a slow-moving vehicle emblem on their horse-drawn buggies violates their religious freedom.

The nine Amish men from Graves County are appealing their misdemeanor convictions for failing to display the slow-moving vehicle emblem on their buggies.

The men, who were convicted in Graves County District Court, are arguing that state law KRS 189.820 mandating that they display the emblem, goes against their church’s teachings.