Columbus, Ohio (Wcmh) – A cross -party account in Ohio Statehouse tries to improve the punishments for hate crimes and to expand protection according to the law in order to involve more identity markers such as political belonging and sex.
Reps. Dontavius ​​Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township) hired the Bill 306 house in May. The legislation would “modernize” Ohios approach to hate crimes, said Jarrells.
“Hate should have no place in the state,” said Jarrells. “Our current laws against the adoption of other states are quite weak.”
Ohio is missing a comprehensive hate crime law. The state has a law against “ethnic intimidation” that prohibits crimes that aim at breed, color, religion and national origin. An ethnic intimidation of an underlying is transferred to an underlying crime to improve the punishment by increasing it up to the next degree.
The draft law would expand the protection of the current law of the state to include crimes caused by sex, ancestors, age, family status, military status, disability, position in a work dispute and political affiliation or position. Legislation would officially define these actions as hate crimes, whereby the criminals were found to be guilty, which have one degree higher than their original crime, as is currently the case with ethnic intimidation.
The legislation would set up civil appeal for victims of hate crimes by enabling the perpetrators for a non -specified amount that is determined by a court. Perpetrators could also be exposed to civilian fines of up to 25,000 US dollars.
Williams said Attack And vandalism Directed by students on College Campus based on their religion.
He also cited cases of violence and harassment that were motivated by political belonging. Several Ohio elected officialsIn addition to the Attorney General Dave Yost and Republican legislature, victims of the SWATTS have fallen in recent years, which incorrectly includes a solemn crime to illustrate an armed reaction of the law enforcement authorities when addressing an unsuspecting person.
“I think we have reached a point in the political climate of our country where we have to make it clear that they cannot use violence in order to promote their political agenda and they cannot use violence against their political rivals, regardless of which party they are connected,” said Williams.
The draft law says that knowingly has created a wrong report that someone has committed a crime that demands an intervention by the law enforcement authorities and alludes to Swating. The distribution of materials on private property with the intention of terrorizing a resident can also represent a hate crime according to the law.
The legislation indicates that the speech can only be defined as hate crimes, unless four conditions have been fulfilled: the speech threatens violence against a certain person or group that fears that violence against them is committed, the perpetrator acts in “reckless disregard” for the threatening nature of their speech and the perpetrator has the “obvious ability” to endure the threat.
The law on hate crime was assigned to the house’s judicial committee, where it is waiting for its first hearing. The legislation has drawn 26 cosponsors consisting of Democrats and Republicans.
