The Department has investigated and prosecuted hate crimes under the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. In Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012, the Department convicted the most defendants on hate crimes charges in more than a decade. Since its passage in 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act has provided the Department with important tools to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. To date, the Department has trained thousands of federal and local law enforcement officials around the country to use the statute. In the past four fiscal years (2009-2012), the Department has prosecuted 29 percent more hate crime cases than were prosecuted in the previous three fiscal years (2005-2008), and charged 78 percent more hate crime defendants. The Department has brought 21 cases, charging 53 defendants. Of those 53 defendants, 40 have been convicted. The Department has prosecuted cases under the Shepard-Byrd Act in Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. In addition to using the Shepard-Byrd Act, the Department also continues to employ 18 U.S.C. §§ 245 (federally protected activities), 247 (obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs/ damage to religious real property), and 42 U.S.C. § 3631 (criminal interference with right to fair housing) to prosecute hate crimes. Attorney General Holder has also gone to court to protect the rights of the disabled and fight for environmental justice. Eric Holder leaves behind an outstanding legacy as Attorney General. His departure is a reminder that President Obama’s time in office will soon be coming to an end.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 19:23:47 +0000
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