Hate Crime and Same-Sex Marriage
President Obama has recently expressed his support for the Respect for Marriage Act. His view on the idea of marriage has evolved since taking office and President Obama has now confirmed that he supports gay marriage. In contrary, new research based on FBI data shows that gay men face higher rates of hate-motivated physical violence than lesbians, bisexuals or other federally protected groups with high rates of hate crimes. California hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation rose by 25 percent just last year. The most dramatic shifts took place in Palm Springs and San Francisco – both cities with significant gay and lesbian populations. The most recent case was a transgender woman gunned down in Oakland last month.
California and federal hate crime laws impose severe punishment for harming, threatening or harassing someone because of the person’s race, national origin, disability, religion, sex, gender, or sexual orientation. There are cases in which a perpetrator used religious texts condemning homosexuality to justify behavior, which at that point investigators have a case of competing rights — the right to religious belief and the right to be free from discrimination. And if the victim of a hate crime is not out already, simply laying a criminal complaint could out them as a victim of an anti-gay hate crime, putting them at risk for what is called “secondary victimization”.
With that being said, it’s not uncommon for people to get wrongly accused of hate crimes. This often stems from false accusations, misidentification, or a rush to judgment merely because the alleged victim is different from the accused. If you are arrested for a violent and/or hate crime, our experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys can help you better understand the laws, penalties and legal defenses pertaining to the charges. To have your rights and your freedom protected, contact Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf, a highly skilled defense attorney in Los Angeles. Call (310) 277-1707.
