California Hate Crime Attorney
2021 Podcast with JuryAnalyst’s Science Team
Fellow plaintiff lawyers can learn more on our recent podcast with Jury Analyst’s science team. Jury Analyst is a company that focuses on utilizing a data-driven approach with virtual focus groups to help define the key issues that will impact a case. Through this approach, data is collected that can speak directly to what key pieces of information the jurors want to know about and how the jurors feel about the information obtained thus far. With regards to hate crimes, the biggest issue in jury selection is “othering.” The key question in these types of cases is if the jurors have had their interests affected by a particular group. For example, “have you ever not received a job because it was given to someone with a visa?” “Do you have friends of particular group membership?” In some cases, the data can be utilized from an SJQ (Supplemental Juror Questionnaire) to help in jury selection. This approach is also useful in instances without an SJQ and when jurors have already been selected. Ultimately what will be most effective is paralleling the juror’s experience with the experience of the client. This helps to take away the concept of the “other” and gives a direct way to deal with the bias. If you learn about implicit bias within yourself you’re better able to understand implicit biases within your jurors and utilize that information for jury selection.
You can listen to Brian Panish’s “Get In The Game” podcast about lawyers in the legal field with Christopher Dolan and Mari Bandoma Callado who will speak more on their case experience and hate crimes charges here.
We help put the ‘fair’ back in ‘fair fight’
- If you have been accosted on the street by someone spewing hateful homophobic slurs, call the police and then
call The Dolan Law Firm at 888.452.4752. - If you have been physically attacked or threatened with violence because the person thought you were gay, call the police, and then call our office.
- If someone you know has been injured by skinheads or other hate mongers, call the police, and then call our office.
The police will document the incident, investigate the crime, and help you to get a temporary restraining order to limit the attacker’s access to you and prevent further violence against you.
The prosecutor can charge the attacker under California criminal statutes. If your case fits the criteria for a hate crime, your attacker can be charged under California’s hate crimes statutes (see those statutes below).
The California hate crime attorneys at the Dolan Law Firm can advise you if a civil case is possible and can represent you in a lawsuit to recover financial damages for injuries or financial losses you suffered. Contact our San Francisco law firm to speak with a lawyer who understands the challenges lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people face.
We also represent LGBT students who have been the victims of assault and harassment in schools.
San Francisco LGBT Hate Crime Lawyers: Obtaining Justice and Compensation
California Penal Code, Section 13023, defines hate crimes as “any criminal acts or attempted criminal acts to cause physical injury, emotional suffering, or property damages where there is a reasonable cause to believe that the crime was motivated, in whole or in part, by the victim’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or physical or mental disability.”
Two legislative acts — the Ralph Act of 1976 and the Bane Act of 2000 — define protections for people who have been the victim of hate crimes. There are also a number of penal codes that relate to the prosecution of hate crimes.
People who have been the victim of a hate crime have a right to recover compensation for their physical injuries and financial losses. In some circumstances, they can also recover their attorney’s fees. And the attacker can be charged civil penalties (in addition to criminal penalties).
Some crime victims may be eligible for financial assistance for unreimbursed expenses resulting from the crime under California’s Victims of Crime program. We can explain whether you qualify.
The Dolan Law Firm has represented numerous individuals who have been the victim of hate crimes because of their gender identity, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you pay no fees or costs upfront.
San Francisco LGBT Hate Crime Victim’s Lawyer
If you believe that you, or a loved one, has been the victim of a hate crime in San Francisco or anywhere in California, contact our San Francisco law office to schedule a free evaluation of your case with an experienced California hate crime lawyer.
