For Long to be convicted of a hate crime, a jury must find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant chose a victim, group of victims or their property because of characteristics such as race, religion, national origin and gender. Almost every state has a hate-crime law, but the statutes are rarely used, experts say. The Atlanta spa shootings fueled calls to seek enhanced penalties and new momentum for hate-crime laws in the few states without them.

Source: Washington Post May 11, 2021 19:13 UTC