A 17-year-old boy is due in court today in Lake County. Prosecutors say he used racial slurs at school and had a noose hanging from the rearview mirror of his car.

It’s just one of several racially charged cases in Illinois that have sprung up since the explosive events in Jena, Louisiana.

That incident began with nooses under a tree, and culminated in attempted murder charges, allegations of a racist judicial system and massive protests.

The episode has rippled through Illinois.

In South Elgin, an African-American construction worker found a noose hanging in his workspace at a Home Depot store construction site.  

In Chicago’s north side Irving Park neighborhood, an African American family exchanged angry words with a man who they noticed had a noose hanging in his vehicle.

But exactly how will prosecutors define the crimes?

Laura Beth Nielsen is a research fellow at the American Bar Foundation and Assistant Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University. 

She’s testified before Congress on hate crime issues, and she joined us this morning to talk about them.

She explains why we have hate crime legislation to begin with.

Music Button: Nino Rota, “Fellini’s Roma-Bent Remix”  from the CD Cinematic: Classic Film Music Remixed  (6 Degrees records)