Louisiana White Man Sentenced To 20 Years For Hate Crime

Jet, March 22, 1999

A Louisiana White man convicted of a hate crime for trying to torch two cars that belonged to Black motorists was recently sentenced to the maximum of 20 years in prison.

Officials said it was the first trial involving the state's hate crime law.

Frank Palermo, 32, was convicted in December of two counts of a hate crime and of dousing the vehicles with gasoline. He was sentenced by State District Judge Walter Rothschild, who told Palermo, "You were out to get these people because of their race."

One of the cars had a small child in it. The cars didn't burn because it was raining at the time of the incident last September.

Authorities said Palermo and his younger brother, Patrick, encountered the Blacks working on a stalled car along an expressway in Harvey, a New Orleans suburb. Witnesses testified the Palermos became involved in a shouting match

with one driver, and then a fight broke out. Racial slurs were used, authorities said.

Frank Palermo got a baseball bat and broke windows in one car, then grabbed a gas can and poured fuel on it and another car that had a child strapped inside, witnesses said. They said the Palermos tried to ignite the gas, but the rain kept it from burning and they fled.

Patrick Palermo received the minimum sentence of three years in prison. He had been acquitted of the hate crime count but convicted of helping put gasoline on the cars.