Easier Prosecution of Hate Crimes: Clarifying the Motivation Standard
This bill simplifies the process for federal prosecutors to secure convictions in hate crime cases. It changes the legal standard so that a victim's protected characteristic (like race or religion) does not have to be the sole reason for the attack, but merely a "contributory motivating factor." This aims to strengthen legal protections for citizens vulnerable to bias-motivated violence by making successful prosecution more achievable.
Key points
Lowering the burden of proof required for federal hate crime convictions.
Bias must only be a "contributory motivating factor," not the exclusive cause of the crime.
Strengthening legal tools to combat violence motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.
Introduced
Citizen Poll