Hate Crimes on Trial: Judgments about Violent Crime against Gay Men

Abstract

This study investigated the degree to which judgments regarding a murder case were influenced by victim sexual orientation and hate crime evidence. Results indicated that victim blame was lower when the victim was gay than when the victim was of unspecified or heterosexual orientations, regardless of whether evidence of a hate crime was provided. Additionally, the severity of sentencing increased when evidence of a hate crime was provided. Mock juror authoritarianism and homonegativity moderated the effect of crime condition on sentencing, such that being low in either characteristic enhanced the likelihood of assigning the death penalty to perpetrators of hate crimes. Implications for theory, legal policy, and trial consultation practice are discussed.