Hate crimes, unfortunately, have become a serious societal problem. Although we think we live in an enlightened age there are still those who commit crimes where part of their motivations are personal characteristics of the victim.
Hate crimes are serious violations of the law against individuals or property based upon the perverted belief or perception regarding the victims’ race, color, ancestry, gender, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation. Crimes that have this as an element are treated more severely than similar crimes that do not contain these motivations.
Hate crimes include but are not limited to acts of assault, vandalism, robbery, rape or those kinds of verbal harassment. Obviously attacks on places of worship are universally considered hate crimes.
Hate crimes have a serious and damaging effect on its victims. Being the victim of any crime is an invasion of your privacy and personal space. That sense of invasion is amplified when the motivation involves the basis of a hate crime.
Simply because a crime is alledged to have been committed against a person of color or of a particular orientation or belief, it doesn’t mean it’s a hate crime. A qualified defense attorney will be able to properly evaluate the allegation.
There is a service available to victims of hate crimes other than the police and the District Attorney. In Suffolk County there exists the Suffolk County Crime Victims Center located in Stony Brook NY which can be contacted and they will lend assistance to the victims of such crimes.
Contact the Law Office of Naiburg Obedin and Weissman for a free consultation at (631) 979-7777.