Four distinguished panelists will speak on the prosecution of hate crimes in NH and the difference between hate crimes and hateful incidents. The panelists are:
1. Arusha Gordon, Associate Director of the Center, and Kieaira Lucas, Project Assistant, of the James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under the Law. Ms. Gordon plans to cover what a federal hate crime is and who is protected under federal law. She will also discuss the difference between a hate crime and a hate incident, and give examples of both. She and Ms. Lucas will also discuss the importance of reporting hate crimes and hate incidents and mechanisms to do so.
2. Seth Locke, Director, Civil Rights Unit, New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.
Mr. Locke will focus on state-law specific aspects of bias- or hate-motivated conduct.
3. Seth Aframe, Assistant United States Attorney, Appellate Chief and Civil Rights Coordinator, United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, and periodic lecturer in First Amendment law at UNH Law School. Mr, Aframe will talk about the Hate Crime Prevention Act and other relevant statutes that the federatl government uses to prosecute federal hate crimes.
4. Raphael Katz, Affirmative Civil Enforcement Coordinator and Civil Rights Coordinator, United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Mr. Katz will discuss the potential civil rights violations that might be pursued by the federal government in a civil enforcement action.