Legislator Bosworth Supports County Executive's Decision to

Lobby State to Broaden Hate-Crimes Statute

Nassau County Legislator Judi Bosworth (D-Great Neck) 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.

“No matter what the original motivation of a crime is, if spurious statements attacking the victim’s race, ethnicity or sexual orientation come into play, the police need the latitude to be able to charge the attacker under an expanded hate crime law,” she said.

Nassau County Legislator Judi Bosworth (D-Great Neck) 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, Legislator Judy Jacobs, 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.