Legislator Jacobs Supports County Executive's Decision to Lobby State to Broaden Hate-Crimes Statute

Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) said at a recent press conference led by Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi that she supports the County Executive’s decision to urge the state to broaden the hate-crime law. Under the current law, the beating of a black man by a group of Latino men outside a Roosevelt deli does not qualify as a racially motivated crime even though attackers used racial slurs. The proposed change in the law would allow law enforcement to charge attackers using racial slurs with a hate-crime.

“I want to make it perfectly clear that I consider this crime to be despicable, one that should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” she said. “However, the way the law is now written that can’t happen. In this instance the attacker can only be charged with a felony assault, not a hate-crime, which this appears to be. I support a change to this law to further protect the residents of Nassau County.”

Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) supported Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi's decision to lobby the state to broaden the hate-crimes statute at a recent press conference at the Nassau County Legislature. Joining her were, from left, County Executive Tom Suozzi, Legislator Dave Mejias, Legislator Kevan Abrahams, Police Commissioner Lawrence W. Mulvey and Detective Sergeant Gary Shapiro of the Bias Crime coordinator.