Quote:
Originally Posted by shinerbock
I guess I'm confused regarding sentencing enhancements. Is there a difference between an average state's hate crime law and other aggravating factor considerations. The core of my concern is the idea of a consideration vs. tack-on penalties.
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I'm not aware of any jurisdiction where "hate crime" = tack on
x months to the sentence. Where it is used as a sentence enhancement, so far as I know, it is a factor taken into consideration along with other factors in arriving at (one hopes) an appropriate sentence.
As I said earlier, I have heard proposals of establishing "hate crimes" as a separate, chargeable offense, as in "he was charged with one count of assault and one count of committing a hate crime." That's the concept I have trouble with.