Religious Left

Bay Area Reporter It's been just over a year since Satendar Singh was brutally attacked at a recreation area near Sacramento, allegedly by Russian immigrants who perceived him to be gay. But without the inclusion of sexual orientation in the federal hate crimes law the man authorities believe delivered the fatal blow remains a fugitive from justice. One of those arrested, Alexsander Schevchenko, 22, was sentenced to 150 days in county jail after being found guilty on two misdemeanor charges. "Five months in jail for the murder of a man was a slap on the wrist," Sloan said of the sentence Schevchenko received. "It indicates that if you harm a gay person, chances are its not going to be costly." Sloan believes the attack - according to testimony at Schevchenko's trial and police reports, the perpetrators first sent their families home then called friends for additional back-up - "was a conspiracy and should have been prosecuted as one." Former Sacram...

By Crystal Carreon The Sacramento Bee Over the past three weeks, jurors heard testimony in the trial of Aleksandr Shevchenko, 22. But by the end of closing statements Thursday, the circumstances that led to the punch that killed 26-year-old Satender Singh appeared just as murky and controversial as they did last July. At issue is whether Singh's death resulted from a hate crime. The jury of six men and six women also will decide whether Shevchenko should be held responsible. related articles full article