Residents in Connecticut and neighboring areas of the northeast know that people can be charged with crimes for activities considered hateful against certain individuals based upon discriminatory factors. For example, an attack on someone simply because of his or her race or religious beliefs may be considered to be a hate crime. Sometimes these things may be subjective and hard to fully identify but in other cases, it may be more overt.
A recent report released in New York indicated that the city is alleging to be experiencing more hate crimes than in prior years. This comes in the wake of news that other crimes, including other violent crimes, are said to be decreasing.
The rise in reported hate crime activity first appeared after the 2016 presidential election. After a few months, it seemed to be levelling off but then in March of 2017 another jump occurred. Overall, hate crimes were up a reported 72 percent in 2016 and are currently up 100 percent this year. African-American and Jewish people are reported to be the primary targets of the growing number of hate crimes. Details of what actions are alleged as these hate crimes were not provided.
People who may be accused of and arrested for alleged hate crime activities may find it helpful to talk with an attorney. This may provide insight into how the law defines hate crimes and give ideas about the different options available for a defense against these types of charges.
Source: Observer, “Hate Crimes Keep Spiking in New York,” Madina Toure, April 3, 2017
