New Hampshire May Repeal Gay Hate Crime Law [View All]

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/01/013105nhHate.htm

Legislation before the New Hampshire legislation would repeal the state's groundbreaking civil rights law.

The state was one of the first in the nation to enact laws imposing stiffer penalties on those convicted of a hate crime on the basis of "religion, race, creed, sexual orientation, national origin, or sex."

But now, Rep. Elbert Bicknell (R-Deerfield) the repeal bill's sponsor, says that the law is unnecessary. Bicknell says that it is impossible for a jury to get into the mind of an attacker and determine that a hate crime had been committed.


what an utter load of crap--if they're going to repeal it for gays, repeal it for it every group

and it's not the jury's responsibility to "get into the mind of an attacker", it's the prosecution's. The jury is there to weigh the evidence presented by both sides.