Hate Crime

Facing Charges for a Hate Crime?

California Penal Code §422.6 PC

When a crime is committed based on a particular characteristic(s) of the victim, it can either be charged as a stand-alone ‘hate’ crime, or a/the base crime can have an added allegation of being a hate crime.

A hate crime is a ‘wobbler’, meaning it can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony.  If found guilty of a ‘hate’ crime, at sentencing there will be more and harsher penalties.

One of the reasons the penalties for hate crimes are so great is to protect the civil rights of people who are subject to potential hate.  A hate crime can be found if the crime was based on the victim’s:

• Gender;
• Race or ethnicity;
• Religion;
• Sexual orientation;
• Disability;
• Nationality.

If found guilty for a felony hate crime, over and above the penalties that go with the underlying penalties, the additional penalties will include:

• Prison time (16 months to 3 years);
• Fines (up to $10,000);
• Probation.

Your Reputation Is At Stake

Because of the stigma connected to hate crimes, merely being ‘charged’ with a hate crime can be very dangerous.  Even if the defendant is found not-guilty, a good reputation can be ruined beyond repair.  As a result, it is extremely important to engage an attorney with the knowledge to strategically mitigate bad publicity and construct a strong defense.

Time is Valuable – Call Today for your Free Consultation

The bottom line is, if you or someone you care about is facing criminal investigation, criminal charges of any type, or you have questions about seeking an expungement (whether or not probation is currently in place), every second that passes is time that is either working against you, or time that can be used to help the situation/case. The Law Office of James L. Hassey can be reached 24/7 at (619) 745-5555 or through our secure and confidential email/contact form. Contact us today so we can answer your questions and help you.

Possible Collateral Consequences of a Conviction:

• Education – Disclosing conviction on applications to Schools or Graduate Programs.
• Professional License – typical approval for a professional license such as Doctor, Lawyer, Nurse and many other vocations include a background check.
• Work Background Check – many valuable jobs perform scheduled background checks, and/or perform background checks when you’re being considered for a promotion.
• Renting an Apartment / House – many landlords run criminal background checks, and getting turned-down from potential landlords can snowball against you.
• Immigration – being convicted of a crime can have fatal negative effects on a person’s path to citizenship.
• Voting Rights – many people take their voting rights for granted until that right is taken away by a Felony.  Even if a charge starts out as a Misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances, the prosecuting agency (City Attorney / District Attorney) can change the charge(s) to Felony.

Call the Law Office of James L. Hassey today at (619) 745-5555 so we can answer your questions and help you.