Spokane Hate Crime Attorney

Civil Rights Attorney at the Sweetser Law Office

Hate crimes are not specified by law per se, but everything that surrounds hate crimes are illegal. Many times hate crimes violate any number of laws, such as: discrimination, violent actions, and harassment. In Washington in particular hate crimes fall under the legal realm of malicious harassment.

Malicious harassment occurs when someone is victim to a physical attack or is threaten due to another’s view on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and/or national origin. This also includes destruction to an individual’s property in a way that creates a threatening environment due to any of the characteristics listed above. Victims to these acts are protected under Washington’s view of what constitutes a hate crime. It is extremely important to call a law official if a hate crime has occurred to you or a loved one as time can be an issue with such matters. This is in reference to possible witnesses to the crime that took place and the statute of limitation on said crime.

Understanding Hate Crimes

While it is important to understand hate crimes it is also important to understand what constitutes an actual hate crime. A hate crime is when an individual has reasonable fear or doubt that they might be injured or harmed due to a particular bias on the assailant’s part. To be clear this does not mean that if a victim is called a derogatory term then it is an automatic hate crime. A hate crime occurs as a result of bias, not as an afterthought.

If you believe you have been the victim of a hate crime it is extremely important to seek legal counsel to detail the events of the crime. Our attorneys at the Sweetser Law Office are prepared to fight for your rights. We understand that the world is not an easy place, but that does not mean that it should be any harder. Our attorneys keep your values in mind and will fight for the justice you deserve.

Call our office today at (509) 444-4444 and schedule your free case review.