ENHANCED PENALTY FOR HATE CRIMES -->
Section 280003 of Pub. L. 103-322 provided that:
"(a) Definition. - In this section, 'hate crime' means a crime in which the
defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property
crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of the actual
or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender,
disability, or sexual orientation of any person.
"(b) Sentencing Enhancement. - Pursuant to section 994 of title 28, United
States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission shall promulgate
guidelines or amend existing guidelines to provide sentencing enhancements
of not less than 3 offense levels for offenses that the finder of fact at
trial determines beyond a reasonable doubt are hate crimes. In carrying out
this section, the United States Sentencing Commission shall ensure that
there is reasonable consistency with other guidelines, avoid duplicative
punishments for substantially the same offense, and take into account any
mitigating circumstances that might justify exceptions."
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