Hate crimes
It Is Illiberal To Charge Teens With Felonies for Vandalizing a Pride Crosswalk
You don't promote acceptance by locking people up for victimless crimes.
Will J.K. Rowling Do Time?
Plus: Mnuchin's TikTok folly, Trump's April Fools' joke, Andy Warhol's muse, and more...
Matthew Shepard's Murder Was Almost Certainly Not an Anti-Gay Hate Crime
President Biden commemorated the 25th anniversary of his tragic death by celebrating legislation passed in Shepard's name. But it was based on a major falsehood.
The SPLC Is Massively Overcounting 'Hate' Groups—and It's Not Just Moms for Liberty
At this rate, the Southern Poverty Law Center's notorious hate map might eventually describe everyone as an extremist.
Are Americans More Antisemitic Than They Were Four Decades Ago?
The ADL's annual audit of "antisemitic incidents," which counted a record number last year, is apt to be influenced by changes in methodology and reporting behavior.
The Verdict Against Ahmaud Arbery's Killers Highlights the Problems With Federal Hate Crime Statutes
Such laws, which allow redundant prosecutions based on defendants' bigoted beliefs, supposedly are authorized by the amendment that banned slavery.
The Men Who Killed Ahmaud Arbery Were Convicted of Murder. Now They Are on Trial for Racism.
According to a former federal prosecutor, the seemingly redundant case sends "the message that the Justice Department won't tolerate this type of racist hatred."
Crime Is Down From Pre-Pandemic Levels in San Francisco (and Other Cities)
Plus: Substack stands up for free speech, a nonprofit challenges lawyers' stranglehold on giving legal advice, and more...
Jussie Smollett Tries To Convince the Court 'There Was No Hoax'
Accused of orchestrating a hate crime hoax, the former actor took the stand at his trial on Monday.
Do We Really Need New Anti-Asian Hate Crime Laws?
A holistic look at the data shatters the narrative about bias-based violence.
Nassau County Passes Bill That Could Make Criticizing a Cop Punishable by $50,000
Yet under qualified immunity, it's incredibly difficult for the public to sue police.
Big Tech, Watchdog Groups, and Law Enforcement Join Forces To Purge Extremists
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube will expand their use of a central database that compiles extremist content for coordinated de-platforming.
Utah Woman Charged With Hate Crime for Stomping on 'Back the Blue' Sign
The case is yet another instance of law enforcement using hate crime enhancements to punish people for criticizing them.
If You Support the Death Penalty for Hate-Motivated Murders, You Support the Death Penalty
Georgia D.A. reverses her previous position when faced with a mass shooting she sees as a hate crime.
Voters Have Defeated a Texas School District's Plan To Punish Students for Microaggressions
The opposition to Southlake's plan was understandable.
The Men Accused of Killing Ahmaud Arbery Should Not Face Federal Hate Crime Charges
Charge them for their crimes, not their thoughts.
Bill de Blasio Says the NYPD Should Warn People Not To Be Haters
"If someone has done something wrong, but not rising to a criminal level, it's perfectly appropriate for an NYPD officer to talk to them."
L.A.'s Reformist D.A. Promised To Eliminate Hate Crime Enhancements—Until Progressive Activists Gave Him a Call
Some progressives are for criminal justice reform only when it's convenient.
Under a New Law, People Charged With Hate Crimes Are Disproportionately Black and Homeless
An anti-hate ordinance in Columbia, South Carolina, has so far been deployed against the marginalized.
Two People Charged With a Hate Crime for Painting Over a Black Lives Matter Mural
Seeking maximal punishment for a nonviolent offense will not help the Black Lives Matter movement.
No, We Don't Need Harsher Criminal Penalties To Fight the 'Karens' of the World
Politicians appear to have learned all the wrong lessons about over-policing.
The Federal 'Anti-Lynching' Bill Sacrifices Justice for Symbolism
In the name of fighting lynching, the bipartisan bill authorizes 10-year sentences for minor crimes like vandalism.
Oakland 'Nooses' Turn Out To Be Exercise Swings; Mayor Wants To Investigate Them As a Hate Crime Anyway
A white mayor is pursuing a racially fraught investigation of a black man for hanging exercise straps in a park. What could go wrong?
Seattle Police Chief Tells People To Call 911 If They Hear 'Racist Name-Calling'
Don't the authorities have better things to do with their time right now?
Why Libertarian-Leaning Reps. Massie and Amash Voted Against the House's Anti-Lynching Bill
Lynchings are already illegal. But the law would give prosecutors more power—including what amounts to an expansion of the federal death penalty.
DOJ Intervention Dramatically, Irrationally, and Unconstitutionally Increases the Penalty Faced by a Woman Accused of Slapping Jews
How can prosecuting a black woman for slapping Jews in 2020 be authorized by the constitutional amendment that abolished slavery in 1865?
The Justice Department Wades Into New York Bail Reform Fight With Federal Hate Crime Charges Over Slapping
Police and prosecutors want to maintain a system that punishes poor people before they’re ever convicted.
A Year Ago, the Media Mangled the Covington Catholic Story. What Happened Next Was Even Worse.
Journalists and pundits who frantically doubled down on their initial bad takes deserve more criticism.
Are We Experiencing a Nationwide 'Anti-Semitism Crisis'?
Hate crime data suggest that claim is overblown.
New York Charged Grafton Thomas With Attempted Murder for Assaulting Jews With a Machete. Why Are the Feds Prosecuting Him for the Same Attack?
A crime in Monsey leads to a redundant prosecution that hinges on the defendant's anti-Semitism.
McDonald's Coffee Cup Incident Was a Hoax Perpetrated by the Police
The officer responsible has been fired.
The Monsey Attack Shows Anti-Semitic Violence Isn't Always Tied to the Far Right
Many ideological extremes are responsible for anti-Jewish attacks.
A 15-Year Sentence for Burning a Stolen Gay Pride Flag Is Not Justice
Hate crime enhancements meet three-strikes laws, and the consequences are terrible.
Alabama Republicans Now Support Hate Crime Laws—To Protect Police Officers
The state wants to add cops to the list of oppressed classes.
It's Pretty Unlikely the Cadets Were Flashing a White Power Hand Symbol at the Army-Navy Game
This latest social media freakout has prompted a formal military investigation.
Syracuse Students Demand Punishment for Everyone Involved in Racist Speech, Including Bystanders
After a series of alleged hate crimes, activists say they don't feel safe on campus.
Sacha Baron Cohen's Anti-Facebook Rant at the ADL Summit Was Pure Moral Panic
The comedian thinks misleading information on social media is ruining society. That's a bit rich, coming from him.
14-Year-Old Faces Felony Hate Crime Charges for Posting 'Slave for Sale' Craigslist Ad
"Anyone, regardless of age, accused of such disgraceful actions will be charged accordingly."
The Latest Synagogue Shooting Is Not an Excuse To Regulate Livestreams
Violent bigots were targeting Jews long before they could broadcast the carnage.
