Crimes Against Elderly Could be Classified as Hate Crimes
Crimes Against Elderly Could be Classified as Hate Crimes
Posted On - June 22nd, 2010 | By Tim Clancy | Category - Criminal Defense
In Queens, New York, prosecutors are beginning to classify non-violent crimes against the elderly as hate crimes. Typically, hate crimes are when a defendant commits a violent crime against someone because of their gender, sexual orientation or race. But since 2005, at least 5 Queens defendants have either plead guilty to or been convicted of non-violent hate crimes against the elderly.
For example, there was a recent incident in New York where three elderly men were taken advantage of by two women. The women befriended the men and eventually used their credit cards for dental work and even to purchase a kidney on the black market.
This novel approach by New York prosecutors is being watched closely by other state district attorneys. Defendants view the elderly as a group of people that are relatively easy to take advantage of. In New York, a non-hate crime theft of less than $1 million carries no mandatory prison time. If the crime is upgraded to a hate crime, the defendant must serve between 1 and 25 years in jail.
Hate crime laws vary by state. In New York, the statute reads a hate crime is a crime committed “because of a belief or perception regarding the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation of a person.”
However, the language that opens the legislation clearly focuses on hate: “Crimes motivated by invidious hatred toward particular groups not only harm individual victims but send a powerful message of intolerance and discrimination to all members of the group to which the victim belongs.”
If you’ve been accused of a hate crime or any other crime, contact Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Clancy & Clancy. Visit their website at www.dfwcriminallawyer.com/ or call (214) 550-5771 to schedule a consultation.
Categories
recent posts
- What Should Texans Know About "No Refusal" DWI Initiatives?
- Could Legalized Marijuana Be Coming to Texas in 2021?
- Can Ex-Felons Vote in Texas?
- What Happens to Students Who are Arrested for Possession of Prescription Drugs?
- How has COVID-19 Impacted DUI Enforcement in Texas?
- New Policy Requires Release of Incident Videos Within Three Days
- Crime Rates Change Drastically Due to COVID-19
- Most Common Reasons A DUI Case May Be Dismissed
- What You Need to Know About Confusing CBD, Hemp, Medical Marijuana Laws
- New Texas Law Criminalizes Universities' Failure to Report Sexual Misconduct