6 Months for Murder‏? Prosecute hate crimes against all communities.

The Issue

http://maldef.org/hate_crimes_petition/

I know you get it.

I am outraged that two defendants who fatally beat Luis Ramirez, father of two, will serve only 6 and 7 month sentences.

Today, the Schuylkill County Court issued sentencing orders for Brandon Pierkarsky and Derrick Donchak, who were recently acquitted of third-degree murder and aggravated assault, respectively, last month. Pierkarsky was convicted of simple assault and sentenced to six months in county jail. Donchak was convicted of simple assault was sentenced to seven months in a county jail. Both are eligible for parole after serving these minimum sentences.

Will you join us and ask Congress to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009? Hate crimes are on the rise and our local enforcements need federal help to prosecute these violent acts of hate.

Thanks to you and people like you all over the nation, we will soon deliver over 50,000 petitions to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting that the Department of Justice bring federal hate crime charges against the assailants. Now, it’s time for Congress to pass a federal legislation that will prosecute hate crimes against all communities.

Following the hearing, national civil rights leaders joined MALDEF in a national media call to call upon the Department of Justice to intervene and file federal hate crime charges against the defendants. Given similar tragic crimes, including the recent shooting at the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C., the group called upon the U.S. Senate for a swift passage of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. The bill strengthens existing federal hate crime laws by authorizing the Department of Justice to assist local authorities in investigating and prosecuting certain bias-motivated crimes. The bill would also provide authority for the federal government to prosecute some violent bias-motivated crimes as well.

Luis’ life is irreplaceable, and the value of what the defendants took from Luis and his family is incalculable. The failure to hold the defendants responsible for their atrocious crimes denies justice not just to the Ramirez family, but also to the entire community. Please act now and sign the petition asking Congress to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.

Thank you for your continual support. MALDEF will not let this injustice go without a fight.

Sincerely,

Henry Solano
Interim President and General Counsel
MALDEF

http://maldef.org/hate_crimes_petition/

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