California's indefatigable legislators have come up with another doozy:
Basically, the measure would deem violence against homeless people or their property as a hate crime for civil litigation.
Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal said her proposal would crack down on beatings, stabbings and shootings that target an extremely vulnerable population.
"There is just a tremendous amount of violence perpetrated against homeless people because they are easy prey," Lowenthal said.
The measure, Assembly Bill 2706, would add homelessness to civil rights protections for victims of violence based on race, color, religion, sex, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or involvement in a labor dispute.
This is a textbook example of criminal justice mission creep. Once you have a special category of punishment-enhancement, then all you need to do is shop around for "easy prey," even if the attacks on them have nothing to do with targeted "hate," however defined.
