US Man Convicted in Historic Federal Trial for Killing Transgender Woman

A South Carolina man has been found guilty of a hate crime, a firearms charge, and obstruction for the 2019 fatal shooting of a Black transgender woman, marking the first federal hate-crime conviction motivated by gender identity. Daqua Lameek Ritter faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for killing Dime Doe, and his attorney plans to continue working for his client. This historic verdict comes after years since the enactment of the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which criminalizes violent acts against people due to their religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.