Hate crimes can often involve violence. These crimes are especially troubling because the alleged victim is often chosen based on factors he or she can’t control. These include race, gender, disabilities, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. If you are charged with a crime that is labeled as a hate crime, there is a chance that you could face very serious time in prison.
There are many different acts that can be considered hate crimes. In some cases, these crimes can involve weapons, bombs and other objects. These types of crimes can increase tensions between different demographics of people because of the severity of the crimes. This is another reason why authorities tend to focus on these crimes when they are levying charges.
In the case of some hate crimes, you might face criminal charges for the act with an enhancement for the hate crime. For example, you could face assault with a deadly weapon charges that have an aggravated attachment because the assault was hate-based. This automatically increases the penalties that are associated with the charges and could possibly mean that you are facing mandatory minimum sentences if you are convicted. It is imperative that you find out how the presence of the hate crime determination will impact your case.
If you are facing hate crime charges, you are facing harsh prosecutory policies. In some cases, the prosecutors in these cases will be strict simply to prove a point. This can make it difficult to present a defense against the charges, but this doesn’t mean that it is impossible. Instead, your focus has to be on preparing as well as possible.
Source: FindLaw, “Hate Crime: The Violence of Intolerance,” accessed Jan. 26, 2017
