A 40-year-old Oakland man will serve 11 years in prison for the 2023 stabbing death of Curtis Marsh, a popular Black hair stylist, drag queen, and member of the Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus. A county prosecutor blamed the former district attorney for the length o…
California man sentenced in killing beloved drag queen and singer Curtis Marsh
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In a disappointing verdict that speaks volumes about our society's disregard for LGBTQ+ lives, a 40-year-old man from Oakland has been sentenced to only 11 years in prison for the brutal hate crime against Curtis Marsh, a beloved Black drag queen, hairstylist, and member of the Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus. This lenient sentence underscores the systemic failure to protect marginalized communities and the urgent need for reform in how our legal system addresses hate crimes.
An Oakland man, 40, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for the killing of Curtis Marsh, a figure in the local LGBTQ+ community and a member of the Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus. The sentencing, following a controversial case that caught national attention, raises questions about the balance between justice and crime prevention in a state grappling with rising violence. Critics of the prosecution argue that the focus has been misplaced on identity politics rather than the serious issue of criminal behavior.