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Federal Hate Crimes Defense Attorneys

Protecting the rights of individuals accused of hate crimes

While individual state laws define hate crimes in different ways, Congress has defined a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.” Federal hate crime laws can differ from state laws in that they require the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a particular act was motivated by a certain belief against a particular group. Consequently, there are ways in which an experienced criminal defense attorney can defend against hate crime allegations.

If you have been accused of any type of hate crime, you should retain legal counsel as soon as possible. To schedule a consultation with a federal hate crimes defense attorneys, call Koffsky & Felsen, LLC today at 203-327-1500.

Hate crimes can take many forms

The term “hate crime” generally invokes images of a violent assault perpetrated by an individual or group against another due to ideological beliefs or recent events. While this type of event certainly can be classified as a hate crime, they can also occur in other ways that can be just as serious in the eyes of the law. Some of the more common examples of hate crimes include the following:

• Verbal threats
• Arson
• Physical assaults
• Vandalism
• The use of explosives

In addition to stand-alone offenses that criminalize violent acts directed at others, there are other sentencing guidelines that allow significant sentencing enhancements if the prosecution is able to prove that a particular act was motivated by an impermissible hostility. As a result, the sentences associated with hate crime convictions are often much higher than they would have been had the act not be motivated by a particular bias. If you are facing hate crime allegations, there are often many ways in which an experienced attorney can negate various elements of hate crime allegations. The particular defenses that may be available in your case depend on a variety of factors, so it is important to have a lawyer thoroughly analyze your case as soon as possible.

Contact a Connecticut hate crimes attorney today to schedule a consultation

If prosecutors have accused you of a federal hate crime, you are likely facing extremely serious legal penalties, including significant fines and jail time. In addition, the existence of a hate crime conviction on your criminal record could affect your ability to obtain employment in the future and can have a negative effect on your reputation within your community.

Our attorneys devote their practice to vigorously defending the rights of people accused of criminal offenses. We take a rigorous 360-degree approach to defending the rights of individuals facing Connecticut criminal charges. To schedule a consultation, call Koffsky & Felsen, LLC in Connecticut today at 203-327-1500.