Jury Rejects Insanity Plea in Arizona case Mesa, AZ — A jury yesterday found Frank Roque guilty of first-degree murder for his slaying of Balbir Singh Sodhi. Roque murdered Sodhi during a rampage four days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which included shootings at those who were, or appeared to be Middle Eastern. Mr. Singh, a 49-year-old immigrant from India, wore a turban and beard in accordance with his Sikh faith when he was shot outside his gas station. Manjit Singh, President of the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), a national civil rights organization, said, “The Sodhi family has endured a great deal for the last two years following Balbir’s death. This honest, hard-working man was killed simply because of the way he looked. We hope this conviction will shed light on the persisting problem of hate crimes which are rooted in ignorance and intimidate entire communities.” Although Roque’s defense attorneys mounted an insanity defense, jurors apparently were swayed by the prosecution’s evidence that Roque’s attack was motivated by hatred and bias. The jury also found Roque guilty of five other charges, including attempted murder and reckless endangerment, related to drive-by shootings at other individuals he perceived to be Middle Eastern. The case will enter a second phase of the trial on Thursday, with jurors determining whether Roque is eligible for the death penalty. Singh stated that his organization has noticed an increase in hate crimes since the war in Iraq. Furthermore, he said that SMART recently conducted a briefing on Capitol Hill highlighting post-9/11 backlash incidents directed at Sikhs and other South Asians, and is supporting federal legislation to provide law enforcement agencies more resources to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. “Hate violence can tear communities apart,” Singh said. “Sikh Americans have long endured discrimination, and although legislation cannot expunge hate from our society, our lawmakers must send a clear message that these insidious acts of violence are inconsistent with America’s promise of freedom and tolerance.”
