In Fort Collins and Larimer County, Bias-Motivated Crimes, also referred to as Hate Crimes, is charged when a person is accused of harassing another because of their race, religion, or other defining factors. A man was recently arrested at a Waffle House after he expressed his disgust with the way his bacon was cooked and things turned ugly. According to the report, the man began yelling in the restaurant and some of those exclamations included racial slurs aimed at the employees. Police had to intervene and the man ended up complying after being threatened with a taser. If this had occurred in Fort Collins or Loveland, along with other charges, Bias-Motivated Crimes would likely be on the charge list.
Larimer County Hate Crimes Lawyer: Definition of Bias-Motivated Crimes in Colorado
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Bias-Motivated Crimes – C.R.S. 18-9-121 – is:
(a) Knowingly causes bodily injury to another person; or
(b) By words or conduct, knowingly places another person in fear of imminent lawless action directed at that person or that person’s property and such words or conduct are likely to produce bodily injury to that person or damage to that person’s property; or
(c) Knowingly causes damage to or destruction of the property of another person.
Based on the statute, the man would have likely been charged with this crime due to the fact he was belligerent, causing those who he was calling the racially charged names to be in fear of a physical altercation – all over bacon.
Bias-Motivated Crimes Sentence Over Bad Bacon in Loveland and Estes Park
In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Bias-Motivated Crimes is a felony or misdemeanor, depending on the situation. For a charge under subsection (a), it is a class 5 felony. It there is more than one person involved in causing the bodily injury, then it is a class 4 felony. For a charge under subsection (b) or (c), it is a class 1 misdemeanor.
If you or someone you love has been charged with Bias-Motivated Crimes, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule your free initial consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
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