Man convicted of hate crime for accosting Wiesel

Source: Associated Press

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"A New Jersey man who once claimed insanity was convicted Monday of a hate crime for accosting Nazi death camp survivor and scholar Elie Wiesel in a hotel elevator.

Eric Hunt, 24, was convicted in San Francisco Superior Court of one felony charge of false imprisonment with a hate crime allegation. Hunt was also convicted of two misdemeanor counts — one for battery and one for elder abuse.

The jury dismissed charges of attempted kidnapping, stalking and a second false imprisonment charge.

He had withdrawn his original not guilty by reason of insanity plea, eliminating the need for a second trial to determine his sanity at the time of the crime.

Hunt shook in his seat after the verdict was read. He could face as long as three years in prison."

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g4_7DF2IHPNTWYFK1-97egnMPQhwD922JH1G8

He should be in jail.

I'm not advocating cruel punishment but the hate crime allegation seems like it would double or increase the sentence.

This case is an abuse of the elder abuse law. Those laws were passed to deal with children who abuse parents they are caring for, or health care workers who are abusing patients. It was never intended to deal with pulling an old guy out of an elevator. At most, this sounds like a second degree battery charge.

3 years for doing no long term harm OR damage to an individual is harsh.

and it sounds like he's abusing a rodent...which is wrong in it's own right. I mean beating your weasel in public?
>ahem<
that aside... what a fuck-tard. Why is it assholes like this never get the over-taser treatment from cops? or is it it's never reported when its' assholes like this?