According to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a hate crime occurs whenever an individual commits a crime against another individual, property or group as a result of his or her alleged bias or hatred towards the apparent race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, gender identity or any other characteristic represented by that individual, property or group.
Physical assault, bullying, rape, harassment (verbal or sexual), reckless endangerment, criminal trespassing, vandalism, robbery and murder are all examples of crimes which could be charged as a hate crime if evidence of bias is proven to exist. In this type of case, there is no substitute to hiring a criminal defense lawyer who not only understands state and federal law pertaining to hate crimes, but who has a long track record of success representing cases involving hate crimes.
When charged with a crime of this magnitude, it is your reputation, your freedom and your future at stake, and the legal counsel you choose to represent you will have a dramatic impact on the final outcome of your case. Our lawyers have more than 60 years combined legal experience and our success comes from our commitment to being the unwavering advocate our clients need when facing serious criminal charges.
Having a member of our aggressive legal team on your side to help you prove the crime in question was not motivated by bias or hatred towards an individual or group based on a particular belief or perception will significantly lower your chances of being convicted of a hate crime. Call Law Offices of Daniel A. Hochheiser today to speak with a New York City criminal defense lawyer and find out what our firm can do for you.