Oregon becomes 14th state to ban gay/trans panic defense in murder cases

Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown/Twitter)

The ‘gay/trans panic’ defense – by which someone accused of a murder could claim the sexuality or gender identity of their victim was partly to blame for their actions – has been made illegal in Oregon.

Governor Kate Brown has signed Senate Bill 704 into law on Sunday (May 23).

It becomes the 14th state to do so, following in the footsteps: California, Illinois, Rhode Island, Nevada, Hawaii, Maine, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Colorado, Virginia, and Vermont.

Washington DC has also enacted legislation banning the defense.

The so-called ‘panic’ defense is used by some people who have murdered members of the LGBTQ community.

Those charged with such crimes will sometimes…

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