tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741526379191791403.post7657112273859405170..comments2023-05-25T07:07:40.000-04:00Comments on Charlotte Action Center For Justice: Decision in Torture Case Upsets ChurchesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741526379191791403.post-72991949101637100312007-09-14T09:35:00.000-04:002007-09-14T09:35:00.000-04:00This article seems to be written by someone unfami...This article seems to be written by someone unfamiliar with the legal system. Why are they making the question of hate crime penalties an "either/or" scenario? They kept bringing up this comparison between the maximum penalty for kidnapping being life, as if that has any bearing on whether or not it's worth it to pursue hate crime charges. Hate crime charges, as outlined in West Virginia Code § 61-6-21 "makes commission of crime because of victim's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation or sex an aggravating circumstance in imposing sentence." This means that the ten years they could get for commission of a hate crime would be ADDED to the end of the sentence whatever crime they are actually convicted of committing. Also the "maximum" for kidnapping being life doesn't mean that they will get life. I'm completely disappointed in the Associated Press for not bothering to send someone with legal knowledge to do this report.<br><br>This brings me to the other glaring error made by the AP. In an attempt to explain why a hate crime isn't being charged, they quote a federal prosecutor. As he says, there are no federal hate crime statutes. This is the jurisdiction of state law, and under the WV state law quoted above, this case clearly meets the standards. So of course the federal government isn't charging a hate crime - they never charge hate crimes!<br><br>I can't believe how terribly misleading this article is and yet it's getting published all over the country.Gabrielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17906390745527499375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741526379191791403.post-85112495508055049962007-09-14T08:38:00.000-04:002007-09-14T08:38:00.000-04:00There is no question that this crime was racially ...There is no question that this crime was racially motivated and let's not leave out attempted murder. This debate is yet another example of how our legal system fails. My rights are violated every day when I can't live free from the threat of being another victim of a criminal that our legal system can't keep behind bars! As a society, we should demand that criminals found guilty of hate crimes and sexual crimes are not given the opportunity to offend again. The only way that Megan Williams can heal is to at least have the knowledge that because she survived her ordeal these people will never be able to hurt anyone else again. I think she deserves that. These people, all of them, should be locked up for the remainder of their miserable lives.Gretchen from Germantown, WIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05573739222903123635noreply@blogger.com