Is this a Hate crime?

[WillyBWright]

A Reedsburg woman accused of stealing more than $25,000 worth of antiques from the home of a dying woman she was caring for has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly targeting a disabled person's property.
A charge of theft with a hate-crime enhancer was filed Tuesday in Dane County Circuit Court against Katholeen R. Toeder, 58. According to a criminal complaint, Toeder was hired to provide health care and household help to Karen Rahn of Mazomanie after she returned home from a hospital in October 2006 and was bedridden, while Rahn's husband, Richard, worked in their American Antique shop.
Rahn, 65, died March 4 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

story

A despicable crime for sure, but was this the intent of the Hate Crime bill?

 

[tommays]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

With all the stuff i have seen stolen from the old folks i say pile on ANYTHING that will STICK


Tommays

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

According to Wisconsin law, it may well be.

I'm with tommays, pile it on.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

A Reedsburg woman accused of stealing more than $25,000 worth of antiques from the home of a dying woman she was caring for has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly targeting a disabled person's property.
A charge of theft with a hate-crime enhancer was filed Tuesday in Dane County Circuit Court against Katholeen R. Toeder, 58. According to a criminal complaint, Toeder was hired to provide health care and household help to Karen Rahn of Mazomanie after she returned home from a hospital in October 2006 and was bedridden, while Rahn's husband, Richard, worked in their American Antique shop.
Rahn, 65, died March 4 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

story

A despicable crime for sure, but was this the intent of the Hate Crime bill?

I'm really surprised you have to ask Willy. What makes a difference if you commit a crime against those of a different race, gender, sexual preference OR the disabled. It was your party that dreampt up this stupid enhancement of criminal wrong doing.

Now you will just have to abide by broad application of it.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

Yup it IS a hate crime ... I HATE when that happens.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

I don't really have a problem with victim category ambiguity regarding this particular crime. I guess I always assumed that it would only apply to violent crimes. Hmmmmmmm.....

 

[Plainsman]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

Crimes are crimes. This hate crime stuff, which is ridiculous, puts these folks into categories, which is what I thought they didn't want. You can't have it both ways.

 

[ricksrster]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

All crimes are hate crimes equally. I never heard of a love crime.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

It is a bit of a stretch,but it could be made to stick if the people can prove that the suspect hates either the elderly or the disabled.
We do not know why the hate crime clause was pulled from the stable.There might be more to this than we know.
It seems though that this is just another case of somebody who is addicted to gambling and turns to theft in order to support this habit.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

How can a hate crime exist in a country where "All men are created equal"? Political nutcases making points. Mind numb fools allowing it.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

How does the motivation for a crime effect the severity of the act itself??

 

[rolmops]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

How can a hate crime exist in a country where "All men are created equal"? Political nutcases making points. Mind numb fools allowing it.

If my memory serves me well, hate crime legislation was enacted after some Texas old boys thought it was a good idea to tie a black man behind a pickup truck and dragged him behind the truck for something like a mile,killing him in the process.
It is not a political nutcases making points law.It is a law that was designed to properly punish people for crimes they committed because of hateful attitudes against others.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

Note to rolmops: Dragging a person to his death behind a truck was already a crime. Hate crime laws were enacted long before that incident. Usually by more "enlightened" people who are "superior" in their thought process's and are able to somehow gleen what is in others hearts and minds. It is a really really neat trick. Almost "godlike". FYI I don't care which political party someone belongs to, this is a really neat trick. Mindreading........

 

[JRJ]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

Sorry for the cancer victim and her family. Life in prison for the thief would be lenient imo.

 

[ricksrster]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

If my memory serves me well, hate crime legislation was enacted after some Texas old boys thought it was a good idea to tie a black man behind a pickup truck and dragged him behind the truck for something like a mile,killing him in the process.
It is not a political nutcases making points law.It is a law that was designed to properly punish people for crimes they committed because of hateful attitudes against others.

I'm a white guy. If some Texas boys thought it was a good idea to drag me around behind a pickup truck I would like them to get the same punishment as if I were black.
I hate drug dealing and what it is doing to our neighbor hood of western, NY. Is that kind of hate a crime? Special punishments are wrong. Whether it be the lenient Paris Hilton punishment because she is rich or more severe punishments because the crime is committed against a certain group. Everybody is equally protected in The USA. There should be no "special" laws for any one group.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

Everybody is equally protected in The USA. There should be no "special" laws for any one group.

So the rape of a 6 year old should carry no different penalties than the rape of, say a 24 year old? No "special" laws you say.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

Originally I had no problem with Hate Crime legislation. I thought I saw clear delineations. The Slippery Slope never seemed to enter into the picture...until now.

By the way, I must commend all contributors for this most thought-provoking debate. I never thought it would get such a considered and diverse response. Lots of good points being expressed! You're doing Dockside proud. Way To Go!

 

[rolmops]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

I'm a white guy. If some Texas boys thought it was a good idea to drag me around behind a pickup truck I would like them to get the same punishment as if I were black.
I hate drug dealing and what it is doing to our neighbor hood of western, NY. Is that kind of hate a crime? Special punishments are wrong. Whether it be the lenient Paris Hilton punishment because she is rich or more severe punishments because the crime is committed against a certain group. Everybody is equally protected in The USA. There should be no "special" laws for any one group.

Let me clarify my point.
The guy was dragged to his death BECAUSE he was black.It would not happen to you in that case.Special punishment is an important part of the law,since it takes motivation in consideration.
As for your drug dealer. If he sold drugs to minors,than that should be taken in consideration and he should be punished accordingly .(personally I would like to shoot the bastard).
Your Paris Hilton example shows that we cannot make the law for sale and I agree with that.
There are no special laws for any kind of group. There are special laws for special crime motivations.

 

[OldMercsRule]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

Note to rolmops: Dragging a person to his death behind a truck was already a crime. Hate crime laws were enacted long before that incident. Usually by more "enlightened" people who are "superior" in their thought process's and are able to somehow gleen what is in others hearts and minds. It is a really really neat trick. Almost "godlike". FYI I don't care which political party someone belongs to, this is a really neat trick. Mindreading........

Yup Pointer, Not an easy matter to improve yer posts, as they are generally short sweet n' to the point. (Mine are not)

Hate is a strong emotion. N' SUPERIOR LIBERALS, (superior at mind readin' n' knowin' their feelin's n' all), set up this category of crimes to do just what Madison n' Hamelton n' Jefferson would debate about regardin' the potential perils of a democracy populated by mindless idiots a couple o' hundred years back: the mindless Kool aid drinkin' masses do sometimes act emotionally and irrationally. In the old days a rope with 13 turns did the trick.

It is a crime to intentionally kill, (or more specifically murder), someone.

If ya happen to be heterosexual caucasian Christian male and you have any crime commited against ya n' it would not be a hate crime, regardless of the race or gender of the perp, 'cause of the category of YOU: the VICTIM. Now if yer a woman, better yet a minority or gay woman, or a minority or gay male then Liberals will FEEL real bad about the crime, n' real MAD if the perp is a white hetro Christian male, (that may be a potential dreaded Republican r Cornservative), then obviouisly a hate crime is involved. This does strain me single brain cell: BTW!

Prior to hate crime laws there was already a systemic problem with agressive prosecutors who wanted to make a name for themselves, (like the Duke prosecutor comes ta mind). Now with hate crime laws, aggressive prosecutors who want to make a name for themselves to propel themselves to higher office will prosecute solely on how well they can sell their prosecution of the particular crime. The less popular the perp the more agressive, n' the more sympathetic the Victim the more aggressive the prosecution. If they can find a way to throw a hate crime at ya LOOK OUT.

Simple: not a rational rule of law, a rule of illogical emotion filled feel good law based upon the potential of the crime victim to attain some form of cherished VICTIMHOOD STATUS or CATERGORY that can be used by the MSM or Liberal office seekers, or the perp falling into one of the catergories reserved for extra punishment, (like Republicans).

Liberals really do like to cede all CORNTROL to the government don't they? Is Liberalism a mental disorder? JR

 

[CN Spots]

Re: Is this a Hate crime?

So the rape of a 6 year old should carry no different penalties than the rape of, say a 24 year old? No "special" laws you say.

No, but whether it's a black man raping a white 6 yr old or a white man raping a black 6 yr old, the punishment for either should be the same... skinned alive comes to mind.