First Use Of Utah's Hate Crime Law May Be For Religious Bias In Assault

The county attorney in Utah County, Utah, says that the first prosecution under the state's new hate crimes law may be in the offing. An 18-year-old man was arrested for aggravated assault after he allegedly harassed a 21-year-old Orem man about the LDS Church, and then attacked him with a bat. Yesterday's Deseret News reported on the arrest. The new law provides for a one-step misdemeanor enhancement in sentencing for hate crimes. It also permits the impact of a hate crime to be considered as an aggravating factor in sentencing. Even though the effective date of the new law is May 1, prosecutors apparently believe it is available for a crime committed before that date.