Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido has announced that Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Patrick Coletta will now head the Hate Crime Unit.
The unit, established by Lucido in 2022, works with law enforcement to prosecute hate crimes such as ethnic intimidation.
In Michigan, a person may be guilty of ethnic intimidation if that person maliciously, and with specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person's race, color, religion, gender, or national origin, causes physical contact with another person, damages, destroys, or defaces any real or personal property of another person, or threatens, by word or act, to do so.
The unit, established by Lucido in 2022, works with law enforcement to prosecute hate crimes such as ethnic intimidation.
In Michigan, a person may be guilty of ethnic intimidation if that person maliciously, and with specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person's race, color, religion, gender, or national origin, causes physical contact with another person, damages, destroys, or defaces any real or personal property of another person, or threatens, by word or act, to do so.
“I am appointing an experienced Hate Crimes Unit chief to affirm our commitment to combating intolerance and bigotry. Hate Crimes tear at the fabric of our society, and we stand united in our pursuit of justice for all, fostering a community where every resident can live free from fear and discrimination,” Lucido said in a press release. “Martin Luther King, Jr. said the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.”
The unit, Lucido said, “is our collective effort to expedite that bend, ensuring equality, dignity and compassion for all.”
Coletta has been an assistant prosecutor since 2011 and has been with Macomb County since 2015. He has tried over 100 cases, including murder, police misconduct and ethnic intimidation.
His most recent murder trial secured a first-degree murder conviction against a man who killed his friend on the victim's birthday, according to Lucido.
The prosecutor said Coletta “has convicted people from all walks of life of felony crimes, including a Customs and Border Protection officer and a Catholic priest.”
“His experience affirms that everybody deserves the same accountability for their actions, regardless of who they are,” Lucido said. “But equality under the law doesn't just involve accountability; it also means that every person should be able to live their lives and express their identity without fear of bigoted attacks. He looks forward to continuing his career working to ensure every Macomb County resident has equal access to, and enjoyment of, everything the Constitution guarantees.”
“His experience affirms that everybody deserves the same accountability for their actions, regardless of who they are,” Lucido said. “But equality under the law doesn't just involve accountability; it also means that every person should be able to live their lives and express their identity without fear of bigoted attacks. He looks forward to continuing his career working to ensure every Macomb County resident has equal access to, and enjoyment of, everything the Constitution guarantees.”
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