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1997 SESSION

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973433843
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 607 Offered January 20, 1997 Requesting the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to study crimes of intimidation against ethnic, racial, gender and religious groups, entities and individuals. ---------- Patrons-- Cantor, Guest, Nelms, Nixon, Reid and Watkins ---------- Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice ----------

WHEREAS, recent events in the Commonwealth and across the country have brought home to Virginians the disturbing reality that there are people whose ethnic, racial, gender and religious bigotry motivates them to commit crimes in the hopes of intimidating those persons or groups which represent such minority groups; and

WHEREAS, these crimes of intimidation cost the Commonwealth and her citizens untold dollars in property damage each year, in addition to the pain and suffering of the victims of these crimes; and

WHEREAS, many states, including Virginia, gather data on the frequency of hate crimes within their borders; and

WHEREAS, reports are available nationally which when combined tend to show trends toward violence, such as the burning of African-American churches during this decade; and

WHEREAS, the appropriate punishment of individuals involved in such covert activity is a high priority for all public officials and citizens of the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission be requested to study crimes of intimidation against ethnic, racial, gender and religious groups, entities and individuals. The Commission shall also study the current criminal penalties or sanctions and the applicable sentencing guidelines and practices throughout the Commonwealth in order to recommend any necessary statutory amendments or adjustments in sentencing guidelines as the Commission deems appropriate.

The Commission shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1998 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.