Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...Jury begins deliberating in NY hate crime trial
07.16.2009 3:24pm EDT
(Syracuse, NY)A jury is deliberating at the trial of a 20-year-old upstate New York man charged with the hate crime slaying of a transgendered woman.
Prosecutors say Dwight DeLee fatally shot 22-year-old Lateisha (lah-TEE’-shuh) Green outside a Syracuse house party last November because of anti-gay bias.Three days of testimony wrapped up Wednesday. Lawyers delivered closing arguments Thursday and the case went to the jury.
If convicted of a hate crime, DeLee would face additional prison time. The judge told jurors they can also consider second-degree murder without the hate crime element, as well as a lesser charge of manslaughter.
If DeLee is convicted, it would be only the second hate crime conviction involving the murder of a transgendered person in the U.S.
I thought that in this day and age people were more tolerent of LBGT and this sort of thing would not happen. What is wrong with this guy anyway, is he maybe a closet case? Had a bad gay experience??
Frederick, this sort of thing happens all the time and sadly will continue to happen. Some of these sick and twisted individuals think they have the “right” to kill a transgendered person because they are being who they really are. This is why it’s so important that we recognize the hate crime status of violence against transgendered people, because it sends the message that no one has this “right” to kill others whom they deem undesirable.