What is required to charge someone with ethnic intimidation?

To charge someone with ethnic intimidation in Pennsylvania, it's necessary to establish that the individual intended to intimidate another person based on their race, color, religion, or national origin, which is recognized as a specific form of hate crime. The law does not require evidence of physical injury, a confession, or witness testimonies as a prerequisite for the charge.

The focus of the statute is on the motivation behind the act and whether it was intended to intimidate. While simple assault can involve physical confrontations that may be motivated by bias, it is not a requirement to prove ethnic intimidation. Rather, it’s sufficient to show that the act was committed with malicious intent toward a particular ethnic or racial group. Thus, the requisite element for bringing a charge of ethnic intimidation is closely tied to the demonstrated intent rather than the occurrence of an assault or the presence of a confession or eyewitness accounts.