A hate crime charge can be included in an indictment or added at some point before trial. If a jury convicts the defendant of the underlying crime, prosecutors can present evidence for a hate crime sentencing enhancement. The Georgia law also mandates collecting and reporting data on hate crimes investigated by law enforcement, which allows tracking and proper allocation of resources, Washington said. “This, to me, is a sex crime hate crime where the victims happen to be Asian," he said. Georgia’s Supreme Court had overturned an earlier hate crimes statute in 2004, saying it was too broad.

Source: ABC News March 20, 2021 05:11 UTC