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flag Illinois wins first civil hate crime case, awarding $50K to Black man targeted by racist acts.

flag Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office won the state’s first civil hate crime lawsuit, resulting in $5,000 in civil penalties and $45,000 in damages awarded to Black resident Gregory Johnson. flag The ruling against Chad and Cheryl Hampton followed a pattern of racially motivated harassment, including a lynched effigy, swastikas, and a Confederate flag near Johnson’s home, stemming from a dispute over lawn damage. flag The case, filed in 2022, was made possible by a 2018 Illinois law expanding the attorney general’s authority to pursue such cases. flag Judge Jerry Kane presided over the Carroll County Circuit Court trial. flag Raoul called the conduct “shocking and un-American,” emphasizing that hate-driven actions will not be tolerated. flag The decision reflects a broader national trend of rising hate crimes, particularly those motivated by race or ethnicity, according to FBI data.

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