Exclusive: Head of Maryland task force on anti-Asian crimes speaks about new role

Maryland task force targeting anti Asian American violence

A new task force has been set up in Maryland to target anti-Asian violence.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - With each new video, the attacks on Americans of Asian descent become harder to watch for Robert Hur, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

Hur, who recently stepped down from a long career at the Department of Justice, is now back in private practice. He has also been tapped by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R), to lead a task force to coordinate a response to a surge in anti-Asian attacks.

The work group, Hur says, will bring together experts from different disciplines to find solutions.

"We're working to bring together a really diverse set of viewpoints to try to figure out are they legislative, execuitve actions, grant funds that need to be directed to particular places, outreach across the board," Hur said.

Hur tells FOX 5 personally and as a Korean American, he would like to see more aggressive prosecutions of these kinds of hate crimes.

"It's hard for me not to think about my own parents or my own relatives so of course I'm extraordinarily angry and I want the book thrown at people who commit these kinds of acts of violence," he said.

But he also acknowledges that based on his experience in the courtroom intent can be hard to prove to juries beyond a reasonable doubt.

That's one of the reasons prosecutors don't bring hate crimes charges or seek enhancements for the underlying crimes. Many of these prosecutions end with defendants taking plea deals.

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Through a national pro bono effort the Alliance for Asian American Justice, Hur is representing the victims of the recent brutal attack on two Asian women who were repeatedly beaten with a brick by a man at a Baltimore liquor store.

"They like me, like so many people who have been suffering incidents of violence during the pandemic are Americans. They're proud Americans and they have been in this country for 20 years," Hur said.