{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-532.031","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 532.031","heading":"Hate crimes -- Finding -- Effect -- Definitions.","body":"(1) A person may be found by the sentencing judge to have committed an offense\nspecified below as a result of a hate crime if the person intentionally because of\nrace, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin of another individual or\ngroup of in dividuals or because of a person's actual or perceived employment as a\nstate, city, county, or federal peace officer, member of an organized fire department,\nor emergency medical services personnel, violates a provision of any one (1) of the\nfollowing:\n(a) KRS 508.010, 508.020, 508.025, or 508.030;\n(b) KRS 508.050 or 508.060;\n(c) KRS 508.100 or 508.110;\n(d) KRS 509.020;\n(e) KRS 510.040, 510.050, 510.060, 510.070, 510.080, 510.090, 510.100, or\n510.110;\n(f) KRS 512.020, 512.050, or 512.060;\n(g) KRS 513.020, 513.030, or 513.040; or\n(h) KRS 525.020, 525.050, 525.060, 525.070, or 525.080.\n(2) At sentencing, the sentencing judge shall determine if, by a preponderance of the\nevidence presented at the trial, a hate crime was a primary factor in the commission\nof the crime by the defendant. If so, the judge shall make a written finding of fact\nand enter that in the court record and in the judgment rendered against the\ndefendant.\n(3) The finding that a hate crime was a primary factor in the commission of the crime\nby t he defendant may be utilized by the sentencing judge as the sole factor for\ndenial of probation, shock probation, conditional discharge, or other form of\nnonimposition of a sentence of incarceration.\n(4) The finding by the sentencing judge that a hate crim e was a primary factor in the\ncommission of the crime by the defendant may be utilized by the Parole Board in\ndelaying or denying parole to a defendant.\n(5) As used in this section:\n(a) \"Emergency medical services personnel\" has the same meaning as in KRS\n311A.010; and\n(b) \"Member of an organized fire department, or emergency medical services\npersonnel\" includes volunteers, if the violation occurs while the volunte er is\nperforming duties with an organized fire department or as emergency medical\nservices personnel.","path":["KRS Chapter 532"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=45774","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:05Z","sha256":"ac74071048baad1a89999d124914d19e40f2364a7dd5b341edd40c5294e728ec","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-532.030","next":"us-ky/krs-532.032"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}