Cleveland PD Admits Recent Murders Are Likely Hate Crimes

[Carolyn Marie]

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/12/cleveland_police_recent_slayin.html

Folks do need to understand that the Federal hate crimes statutes are very restrictive, and a crime has to meet some rigid criteria. Hate crimes are easier to prosecute under state laws, but I'm not sure if Ohio has any.

The activist who is quoted speaking about police not responding when a TG person is the victim of name calling, well maybe in Ohio, but in California that isn't considered a crime.

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

Ummm I read something a little different Carolyn, while one person yelling insults at a TG person is NOT a crime here in CA, I am hopeful that a police officer doing that these days is going to at least get a derogatory report put in their personnel file, if not some unpaid leave. The article was referring to police officers doing the name calling, as well as failure to respond to crimes against TG people. I do think there was posturing on behalf of the TG activists, but I also heard some hope in the situation from the police officers. If the Police Department is open to education offers from the TG community, they are going in the right direction, if not fully arrived.

From what I read and heard here, Ohio does not have "Hate Crime" status for these murders on its books. I am one who is sceptical of such status for crimes, even here in CA since I have seen instances where they interfered with the conviction on the more basic crime. Juries have been documented to mistake failure to provide evidence beyond reasonable doubt on the hate issue, to be failure to produce evidence of that level on the basic crime of murder, battery, assault or rape. Not often, but tragically it does happen.

I am happy to see the Cleveland police open to the idea that the crimes were motivated by unreasoned hatred based on the victims life circumstances though.

[Guest LizMarie]

Outright bigoted behavior by police officers towards anyone, in any town or city, is unacceptable. And that's not just GLBT persons either. It's in regards to race, ethnicity, sex, all of it. When officers fail in that responsibility it damages the trust within the community.

Hopefully the police leadership will emphasize treating each citizen with respect because that appears to not have happened in some cases in the past.

[Guest Mia J]

Thanks Liz I agree.

As humans we should always treat each other with respect.

Mia