A hate crime is a criminal offense that is motivated by bias or animus against the victim, based on the victim’s race, religion, or membership in another protected category of persons. Assaulting a person because he is Black is a hate crime; assaulting a Black person for other reasons remains a simple assault. Some states have specific “hate crime” offenses; others elevate the severity of the underlying charge or augment the sentence when hate is the motivating force behind the crime.
Hate Crimes: Laws and Penalties
Hate crimes, or bias-motivated crimes, are offenses committed because the victim is a member of a certain group, such as a racial or religious minority.
Hate Crimes That Changed History
Hate crime legislation was often spurred by instances of particularly deprived crimes.
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