Stories like these underscore how hate crimes laws create unequal penalties for crimes. The sentence for those crimes likely would be a year or two in jail - not 16. He might have been charged with theft, reckless use of fire, or even harassment, but not a hate crime.
If this man had stolen and burned an American flag, he would not have been convicted of a hate crime, and he probably would not have been sentenced to 16 years in jail. The Washington Times reports that an Iowa man who stole an LGBT flag from a church and set the flag on fire has been sentenced to 16 years in jail.įifteen years of that sentence are due to the fact that prosecutors deemed stealing and burning a gay pride flag as a hate crime.
