Sparked by the Blaze Bernstein case, officials propose new legislation against hate crimes

SANTA ANA – Prompted by the investigation into the killing of college student Blaze Bernstein, officials on Friday proposed a new bill that would expand hate crime laws in murder cases to include gay victims.
Samuel Lincoln Woodward, 20, of Newport Beach has been charged with murder for allegedly stabbing Bernstein, 19, in a Lake Forest park last month. Authorities are investigating whether the case was a hate crime.
Woodward has told authorities he met with Bernstein that night to “