Very few people are actually prosecuted for "hate crimes."
The conduct that underlies a "hate crime" is invariably a crime, regardless. When such a crime is being prosecuted, the prosecutor will charge the actual crime (assault, homicide, etc.), and tack on a "hate crime" charge. The convictions rarely even mention the hate crime.
Hate crime laws were created for the specific purpose of creating a "double jeopardy" scenario, where a criminal is either acquitted or convicted of a "lesser crime" in a state court, and a hate crime is suspected. They give the Feds the ability to charge ANOTHER CRIME based on the exact same acts, in order to satisfy the Federal thirst for "social justice."
Accordingly, many believe (including me) that hate crimes laws are intrinsically unconstitutional, and should be abolished.