Violent crimes in Los Angeles require a sophisticated approach to by defense attorneys. The Los Angeles criminal defense attorneysat Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin have defended numerous violent crimes, including those involving “hate crime” status. Hate crimes add penalties to crimes, and make defending such crimes even more difficult.

An ongoing murder casein Greely, Colorado is attracting attention as one of the first murders to be prosecuted as a hate crime. Colorado is currently one of 11 states in which crimes related to gender identity are classified as hate crimes and carry enhanced sentencing penalties for convictions. Allen Andrade, 32, is currently facing life in prison after bludgeoning to deaththe transgendered Angie Zapata. Zapata was born a male and still legally named Justin when she met Andrade online in 2008. After several days of online communication, Zapata and Andrade agreed to meet in person. They had spent a few days together in Zapata’s apartment when Andrade accompanied Zapata to Greely municipal court to take care of a traffic ticket. The traffic ticket was issued in the name of Justin Zapata and that, prosecutors argue, is when Andrade discovered that Zapata was biologically male. Andrade’s defense attorneyinsists that Andrade flew into a uncontrolled rage upon discovering Zapata’s true biological identity and killed Zapata, using both his fists and a fire extinguisher.

The prosecution counters that Andrade knew of Zapata’s gender identity for a full 36 hours and planned to kill Zapata during that time. Andrade has admitted to killing Zapata and made several disparaging comments about homosexuality and the transgendered. In Colorado, the hate crimes statutes would add up to three additional years in prison to Andrade’s sentence if convicted. National gay rights groups have followed this trial closely, saying it is the first trial in which hate crimes statutes have been used to prosecute the murder of a transgendered person. California is one of the 11 states with hate crimes laws protecting gender identities. Gender is defined by both the victim’s actual sex or the defendant’s perception of the victim’s sex. Sexual orientation is also legally protected and both involve enhanced sentencing if convicted.

If you have been accused of a hate crime or a violent crime, contact the Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today. Their combined 50 years of courtroom experience will fight hard to defend you.

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