What Is A Hate Crime?

A hate crime is when a person commits a criminal act or threat against an individual because of the victim's race, religion, national origin, ethnic identification, gender, or sexual orientation.

These crimes may include physical assault, rape, murder, assault with a weapon, harassment, verbal harassment, vandalism, robbery, an attack on people's homes or places of worship, and vandalism.

Consequences for a conviction on the charge of Hate Crime include:

  • Long-term imprisonment
  • Loss of the right to vote or own a deadly weapon
  • Probation or parole
  • Mandatory rehabilitation or education
  • Significant fines
  • Service to the targeted community
  • Other

Hate Crime Criminal Defense

Defenses of Hate Crimes may potentially include:

  • Showing insufficient evidence
  • Proving factual innocence
  • Proving mistaken identity
  • Showing crime was not motivated against the supposed target group
  • Other

Our Criminal Case page provides more information on the following:

  • Why you may receive a stiffer sentence
  • What you can do to improve the outcome of your case
  • What The Cochran Firm can do to help you