Comments on: Hate Crimes, Matthew Shepard and What Happened Today

By: Hate Crimes Act Makes Conference Report, Death Penalty Gone

Hate Crimes Act Makes Conference Report, Death Penalty Gone — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:17:47 +0000

[...] language, the death penalty language, added by Sen. Jeff Sessions, is gone (a move that very much pleases me personally). On page 1483 (1361 of the bill), the penalties lay out a maximum of life [...]

By: The Bilerico Project

The Bilerico Project — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:00:17 +0000

Hate Crimes: Where Are We?…

Editors’ note: Chris Geidner, the author of the Law Dork blog, is a lawyer with experience in state government and the private sector. Aside from a two-year hiatus during his time in government service, Chris has blogged on legal, political and media …

By: National and International News: July 21, 2009 | Cul de sac Magazine

National and International News: July 21, 2009 | Cul de sac Magazine — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:08:52 +0000

[...] has officially passed the Matthew Shepard Act, allowing stronger sentencing for hate crimes and protection for people based on gender expression [...]

By: Hate Crimes: Where Are We?

Hate Crimes: Where Are We? — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:01:40 +0000

[...] is the death penalty provision. The LGBT organizations, as I noted last night, appear to believe that there is a good chance the conference committee will remove the [...]

By: Twitted by rinnyp

Twitted by rinnyp — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:57:53 +0000

[...] This post was Twitted by rinnyp [...]

By: matthew shepard act >> Steve Rothaus – MiamiHerald.com…. Sen. Jeff Sessions adds "poison…. | Total Info

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:18:41 +0000

[...] Today, however, the U.S. Senate took a swipe at that legacy by burdening, oRead more at http://lawdork.net/2009/07/20/hate-crimes-matthew-shepard-and-what-happened-today/ [...]

By: BREAKING: Senate Gives Matthew Shepard Bill Major Lifeline | The New Civil Rights Movement

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:09:49 +0000

[...] Jeff Sessions Amendments, which passed yesterday, read David Mailloux (dym-sum) and Chris Geidner (Law Dork). Related Posts:Hate Crimes Bill: How Defending Gays Became Defending AmericaMatthew [...]

By: Prup (aka Jim Benton)

Prup (aka Jim Benton) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:49:54 +0000

I thought this was bad when i wrote the note above, but it is even worse. Much of the criticism against hate crimes legislation is that it creates 'protected categories' defined by 'status' or 'belief.' This has never been true, and, because of the criticism, legislators have been very careful to craft their legislation in such a way to protect it from such criticism -- or from legal challenges based on creating such 'protected categories.' This was precisely why people rejected this Amendment when it was first proposed. It reads "It would make it a crime if someone “knowingly assaults or batters a United States serviceman or an immediate family member of a United States serviceman, or who knowingly destroys or injures the property of such serviceman or immediate family member, on account of the military service of that serviceman or status of that individual as a United States serviceman, or who attempts or conspires to do so.” I don't usually tout my rarely updated blog, but I have discussed this in more depth here

By: Prup (aka Jim Benton)

Prup (aka Jim Benton) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:51:12 +0000

I’ll discuss this more tomorrow — whn I am awake enough to research it properly, but I think Sessions did something else. By including servicemen in the bill, he changes it and makes it of dubious constitutionality. I wonder if he figured everybody would be watching his ‘right hand’ and protest the death penalty — and missed the significance of the other amendment.