Gendered Hate: Exploring Gender in Hate Crime Law

Appendix E: Interview Guides

146 Appendix E Interview Guides Interview Guide for Prosecutors What is your official title? How long have you been a prosecutor? What type of cases do you most frequently deal with? What experiences have you had with bias crime cases? What is your working definition of a bias crime? What resources are available to you as a prosecutor for bias crime cases? Are the resources sufficient for properly prosecuting such cases? Have there been special trainings on the inclusion of gender? If so, have you attended any? What do you think is the purpose of including gender in the bias crime statutes? What is your own position on the inclusion of gender? What offenses are classified as gender-bias? How easy or difficult is it to define gender-motivated crimes? Are domestic assault cases considered gender-bias offenses? Why or why not? What is your position on the exemption stated in the statute regarding the exclusion of sexual assault and criminal sexual contact (N.J.S. 2C:14-2 and N.J.S. 2C:14-3)? Would including crimes such as sexual assault change how you prosecute gender-bias crimes? If so, how? What kind of evidence is needed to classify a crime as gender-motivated bias? In order to successfully prosecute a case, does a crime have to be motivated by gender bias or does there only need to be evidence that gender bias existed during the commission of a crime? Do you think this is an effective law even though there have been so few cases of a gender-bias crime? Why or why not? What kind of reaction (positive or negative) have you encountered in trying to prosecute gender-bias crimes? Does the political climate of New Jersey influence whether gender-motivated bias cases are investigated and/or prosecuted? If yes, how? Appendixes | 147 Do the media influence whether gender-motivated bias cases are investigated and/or prosecuted? If yes, how? In your opinion, is there a status category included in the bias crime statute that should not be? If yes, which one and why? In your opinion, is there a category still missing from the current statute? If so, which one and why? What are the most common underreported bias-motivated offenses? Why do you think this is so? What are the most common reported bias-motivated crimes? Why do you think this is so? What affects whether or not a victim reports a bias crime? What would encourage or discourage victims from reporting a bias crime? What affects whether an officer identifies a crime as bias motivated? What affects whether the state decides to pursue charges against alleged offenders? Is there anything else you would like to add in regard to the gender category? Interview Guide for Bias Investigators What is your official title? How long have you been an investigator? What is your working definition of a bias crime? What kind of experiences have you had with bias crimes? What resources are available to you as an investigator for bias crime cases? Are the resources sufficient for properly investigating such cases? What do you think is the purpose of including gender in the bias crime statutes? What is your own position on the inclusion of gender? What kind of training have you had specifically on bias crime incidences? Have there been special trainings on the inclusion of gender? What offenses are classified as gender biased? How easy or difficult is it to define gender-motivated crimes? What kind of evidence is needed to classify a crime as gender-motivated bias? Are domestic assault cases considered gender-bias offenses? Why or why not? What is your position on the exemption stated in the statute regarding the exclusion of sexual assault and criminal sexual contact (N.J.S. 2C:14-2 and N.J.S. 2C:14-3)? 148 | Appendixes Would including crimes such as sexual assault change how you investigate gender-bias crimes? If so, how? What kind of reaction (positive or negative) have you encountered in trying to investigate gender-bias crimes? Do you think this is an effective law even though there have been so few cases of a gender-bias crime? Why or why not? Does the political climate of New Jersey influence whether gender-motivated bias cases are investigated and/or prosecuted? If yes, how? Do the media influence whether gender-motivated bias cases are investigated and/or prosecuted...