Title
A MOTION requesting the executive develop a plan for establishing a non-law-enforcement community-based countywide hotline, web portal, incident reporting requirements for a countywide data collection system and public awareness campaign for persons to report hate crimes and incidents.
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WHEREAS, the Washington state Legislature finds that the state interest in preventing crimes and threats motivated by bigotry and bias goes beyond the state interest in preventing other felonies or misdemeanors that are not motivated by hatred, bigotry and bias, and that prosecution of those other crimes inadequately protects citizens from crimes and threats motivated by bigotry and bias, and
WHEREAS, as a result of that recognition by the state, state law establishes that a person who intentionally threatens or causes injury to persons or physical property because of the victim's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity or mental, physical or sensory disability has committed a hate crime offense under RCW 9A.36.080, and
WHEREAS, in addition to the criminal penalty provided in state law for committing a hate crime offense, state law allows that the victim may bring a civil cause of action for the hate crime offense against the person who committed the offense. A person may be liable to the victim of the hate crime offense for actual damages, punitive damages of up to one hundred thousand dollars and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs incurred in bringing the action, and
WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, in the simplest terms, a hate crime must include both hate and a crime, and
WHEREAS, the federal government and national advocacy groups acknowledge that there is a difference between hate crimes and hate incidents. Hate crimes have established criminal penalties and require due process to arrest alleged perpetrators, file charges and adjudicate those cases. A hate crime is a...
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