Four years ago this month, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act became law in the United States. The law was an important expansion of the 1969 federal hate crime law and one that is important to understand.
3 Things You Should Know About This Law
While there is a lot to know about this important hate crimes legislation, we want you to be aware that:
- The law protects people from crimes committed based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of anyone and based on the actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of people in certain circumstances.
- This is the first federal civil rights law to provide protection to transgender people.
- The law calls for funding and technical assistance to be provided to states to assist in the investigation, prosecution and prevention of hate crimes.
If you have been the victim of a hate crime then an experienced civil rights lawyer can review what happened to you and help you decide whether filing a federal civil rights case is in your best interest.
Call a Pennsylvania Civil Rights Lawyer for Help
There is a seven year statute of limitations for bringing an action pursuant to this law unless a death occurred in which case there is no statute of limitations for bringing an action. For more information about whether you would benefit from bringing a civil rights case pursuant to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, you may want to talk with a civil rights lawyer in your area for an initial consultation.