(a) A person commits the crime of murder in the second degree if
(4) acting with a criminal street gang, the person commits or attempts to commit a crime that is a felony and, in the course of or in furtherance of that crime or in immediate flight from that crime, any person causes the death of a person other than one of the participants;
(Top)A. A street gang enforcement revolving fund is established consisting of monies appropriated to the fund for the purpose of funding gang prevention programs or for training prosecutors and law enforcement personnel in the area of street gang prosecution and enforcement and investigating and prosecuting any offense that is concurrently charged or investigated with any offense relating to criminal street gangs. The Arizona criminal justice commission shall administer the fund under the conditions and for the purposes provided in this section. Monies in the fund are subject to legislative appropriation.
B. Monies in the fund are exempt from lapsing pursuant to section 35-190.
C. Twenty-five percent of the fund monies shall be distributed to the attorney general and seventy-five percent of the fund monies shall be distributed to the county attorneys.
D. Fund monies shall be used either to provide personnel or for the training of prosecutors and law enforcement personnel in the area of street gang enforcement and prosecution or for the investigation and prosecution of any offense described in this section.
G. In a hearing pursuant to subsection C of this section, proof that the person is a criminal street gang member may give rise to the inference that the person poses a substantial danger to another person or the community and that no condition or combination of conditions of release may be imposed that will reasonably assure the safety of the other person or the community.
(a) (1) The General Assembly finds that the state of Arkansas is experiencing an increase in crime committed by criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises.
(2) These criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises support themselves by engaging in criminal activity for profit, most commonly through the distribution of controlled substances and by theft of property.
(b) (1) The General Assembly further finds that with increasing frequency, criminals are using sophisticated means of concealing criminal proceeds and, in most cases, moving criminal proceeds out of Arkansas.
(2) (A) In order to reap the rewards of their criminal conduct, criminals must conceal the source of the criminal proceeds and the identity of the individuals who work to obtain the criminal proceeds.
(B) They convert the criminal proceeds to property or assets that appear to have come from a legitimate source.
(C) (i) Often they must maintain the property or assets in another person's name.
(ii) This also helps them to avoid detection, identification, and seizure.
(3) (A) While individual criminals launder their criminal proceeds, this is particularly common among members and associates of criminal gangs, organizations, and enterprises.
(B) There is strong evidence that this increased sophistication is due largely to contact with other criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises from other states.
(c) The General Assembly further finds that we cannot afford to allow millions of dollars in untaxed criminal proceeds to be taken from the state's economy each year.
(d) The intent of the General Assembly is to enact penalties that will:
(1) Deter and punish the criminal use of property or the laundering of criminal proceeds; and
(2) Facilitate the investigation of the criminal use of property or the laundering of criminal proceeds.
(a) (1) The General Assembly finds and declares that it is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, or handicap, to be secure and protected from fear, intimidation, and physical harm caused by the activities of groups engaging in random crimes of violence and committing crimes for profit and violent crimes committed to protect or control market areas or "turf."
(2) It is not the intent of this subchapter to interfere with the constitutional exercise of the protected rights and freedoms of expression and association.
(3) The General Assembly recognizes the right of every citizen to harbor and constitutionally express beliefs on any lawful subject whatsoever, to associate lawfully with others who share similar beliefs, to petition lawfully constituted authority for a redress of perceived grievances, and to participate in the electoral process.
(b) (1) The General Assembly further finds that the state of Arkansas is experiencing an increase in crime committed by criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises.
(2) These criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises support themselves by engaging in criminal activity for profit, most commonly through the distribution of controlled substances and theft of property.
(3) These criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises are becoming increasingly sophisticated at avoiding arrest and prosecution.
(4) With increasing frequency, criminals are using the property of another person which has been stolen, borrowed, leased, or maintained in another person's name to avoid detection and identification.
(5) This is particularly common among members and associates of criminal gangs, organizations, and enterprises.
(6) There is strong evidence that this increased sophistication is due largely to contact with other criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises from other states.
(c) (1) The General Assembly further finds that criminal gangs, organizations, and enterprises control their market areas by terrorizing the peaceful citizens in their neighborhoods with deliberate and random acts of violence.
(2) "Drive-by" shootings are becoming all too common in many Arkansas cities.
(3) One of the primary reasons for the increased homicide rate is the use of firearms by criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises to control the crack cocaine market within their geographical "turf."
(d) (1) The General Assembly further finds that in addition to the activity of street gangs, there are also other types of criminal organizations or enterprises operating in Arkansas.
(2) Some examples are garages that take parts from stolen automobiles, burglary or retail theft rings, and narcotics distribution organizations.
(3) The number of crimes committed by criminal organizations of all types is increasing.
(4) These ongoing organized criminal activities present a clear and present danger to public order and safety and are not constitutionally protected.
(e) (1) It is the intent of the General Assembly to use as a model the federal Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute, 21 U.S.C. Section 848.
(2) This should provide law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and our courts with ample case law to guide in the interpretation of the language and the legislative intent.
(3) It is furthermore the intent of the General Assembly to focus the state's law enforcement agencies and prosecutors on investigating and prosecuting all ongoing organized criminal activity and to provide for penalties that will punish and deter organized ongoing criminal activity.
(a) The General Assembly of the State of Arkansas hereby finds and declares that it is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, or handicap, to be secure and protected from fear, intimidation, and physical harm caused by the activities of groups engaging in random crimes of violence, and committing crimes for profit and violent crimes committed to protect or control market areas or "turf". It is not the intent of this subchapter to interfere with the constitutional exercise of the protected rights and freedoms of expression and association. The General Assembly of the State of Arkansas hereby recognizes the right of every citizen to harbor and constitutionally express beliefs on any lawful subject whatsoever, to associate lawfully with others who share similar beliefs, to petition lawfully constituted authority for a redress of perceived grievances, and to participate in the electoral process.
(b) The General Assembly of the State of Arkansas further finds that the State of Arkansas is experiencing an increase in crime committed by criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises. These criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises support themselves by engaging in criminal activity for profit, most commonly through the distribution of controlled substances and theft of property. These criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises are becoming increasingly sophisticated at avoiding arrest and prosecution. With increasing frequency, criminals are using the property of another person which has been stolen, borrowed, leased, or maintained in another person’s name to avoid detection and identification. This is particularly common among members and associates of criminal gangs, organizations, and enterprises. There is strong evidence that this increased sophistication is due largely to contact with other criminal gangs, organizations, or enterprises from other states.
(c) The General Assembly of the State of Arkansas further finds that criminal gangs, organizations, and enterprises control their market areas by terrorizing the peaceful citizens in their neighborhoods with deliberate and random acts of violence. "Drive-by" shootings are becoming all too common in many Arkansas cities. One of the primary reasons for the increased homicide rate is the use of firearms by criminal gangs organizations, or enterprises to control the crack cocaine market within their geographical "turf".
(d) The General Assembly of the State of Arkansas further finds that in addition to the activity of street gangs, there are also other types of criminal organizations or enterprises operating in Arkansas. Some examples are garages that take parts from stolen automobiles, burglary or retail theft rings, and narcotics distribution organizations. The number of crimes committed by criminal organizations of all types is increasing. These ongoing organized criminal activities present a clear and present danger to public order and safety and are not constitutionally protected.
(e) It is the intent of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas to use as a model the federal continuing criminal enterprise statute, 21 U.S.C. Section 848. This should provide law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and our courts with ample case law to guide in the interpretation of the language and the legislative intent. It is furthermore the intent of the General Assembly to focus the state’s law enforcement agencies and prosecutors on investigating and prosecuting all ongoing organized criminal activity and to provide for penalties that will punish and deter organized ongoing criminal activity.
(Top)This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act."
The Legislature hereby finds and declares that it is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, or handicap, to be secure and protected from fear, intimidation, and physical harm caused by the activities of violent groups and individuals. It is not the intent of this chapter to interfere with the exercise of the constitutionally protected rights of freedom of expression and association. The Legislature hereby recognizes the constitutional right of every citizen to harbor and express beliefs on any lawful subject whatsoever, to lawfully associate with others who share similar beliefs, to petition lawfully constituted authority for a redress of perceived grievances, and to participate in the electoral process. The Legislature, however, further finds that the State of California is in a state of crisis which has been caused by violent street gangs whose members threaten, terrorize, and commit a multitude of crimes against the peaceful citizens of their neighborhoods. These activities, both individually and collectively, present a clear and present danger to public order and safety and are not constitutionally protected. The Legislature finds that there are nearly 600 criminal street gangs operating in California, and that the number of gang-related murders is increasing. The Legislature also finds that in Los Angeles County alone there were 328 gang-related murders in 1986, and that gang homicides in 1987 have increased 80 percent over 1986. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to seek the eradication of criminal activity by street gangs by focusing upon patterns of criminal gang activity and upon the organized nature of street gangs, which together, are the chief source of terror created by street gangs. The Legislature further finds that an effective means of punishing and deterring the criminal activities of street gangs is through forfeiture of the profits, proceeds, and instrumentalities acquired, accumulated, or used by street gangs.
Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a local governing body from adopting and enforcing laws consistent with this chapter relating to gangs and gang violence. Where local laws duplicate or supplement this chapter, this chapter shall be construed as providing alternative remedies and not as preempting the field.
(a) Any person described in subdivision (b) shall register with the chief of police of the city in which he or she resides, or the sheriff of the county if he or she resides in an unincorporated area, within 10 days of release from custody or within 10 days of his or her arrival in any city, county, or city and county to reside there, whichever occurs first. (b) Subdivision (a) shall apply to any person convicted in a criminal court or who has had a petition sustained in a juvenile court in this state for any of the following offenses:
(1) Subdivision (a) of Section 186.22.
(2) Any crime where the enhancement specified in subdivision (b) of Section 186.22 is found to be true.
(3) Any crime that the court finds is gang related at the time of sentencing or disposition.
(a) The registration required by Section 186.30 shall consist of the following:
(1) Juvenile registration shall include the following:
(A) The juvenile shall appear at the law enforcement agency with a parent or guardian.
(B) The law enforcement agency shall serve the juvenile and the parent with a California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act notification which shall include, where applicable, that the juvenile belongs to a gang whose members engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity as described in subdivision (e) of Section 186.22.
(C) A written statement signed by the juvenile, giving any information that may be required by the law enforcement agency, shall be submitted to the law enforcement agency.
(D) The fingerprints and current photograph of the juvenile shall be submitted to the law enforcement agency.
(2) Adult registration shall include the following:
(A) The adult shall appear at the law enforcement agency.
(B) The law enforcement agency shall serve the adult with a California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act notification which shall include, where applicable, that the adult belongs to a gang whose members engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity as described in subdivision (e) of Section 186.22.
(C) A written statement, signed by the adult, giving any information that may be required by the law enforcement agency, shall be submitted to the law enforcement agency.
(D) The fingerprints and current photograph of the adult shall be submitted to the law enforcement agency.
(b) Within 10 days of changing his or her residence address, any person subject to Section 186.30 shall inform, in writing, the law enforcement agency with whom he or she last registered of his or her new address. If his or her new residence address is located within the jurisdiction of a law enforcement agency other than the agency where he or she last registered, he or she shall register with the new law enforcement agency, in writing, within 10 days of the change of residence.
(c) All registration requirements set forth in this article shall terminate five years after the last imposition of a registration requirement pursuant to Section 186.30.
(d) The statements, photographs and fingerprints required under this section shall not be open to inspection by any person other than a regularly employed peace or other law enforcement officer.
(e) Nothing in this section or Section 186.30 or 186.31 shall preclude a court in its discretion from imposing the registration requirements as set forth in those sections in a gang-related crime.
(a) Any person required to register pursuant to Section 186.30 who knowingly violates any of its provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b) (1) Any person who knowingly fails to register pursuant to Section 186.30 and is subsequently convicted of, or any person for whom a petition is subsequently sustained for a violation of, any of the offenses specified in Section 186.30, shall be punished by an additional term of imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or 2, or 3 years. The court shall order imposition of the middle term unless there are circumstances in aggravation or mitigation. The court shall state its reasons for the enhancement choice on the record at the time of sentencing.
(2) The existence of any fact bringing a person under this subdivision shall be alleged in the information, indictment, or petition, and be either admitted by the defendant or minor in open court, or found to be true or not true by the trier of fact.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the California Gang, Crime, and Violence Prevention Partnership Program.
(a) The California Gang, Crime, and Violence Prevention Partnership Program shall be administered by the Department of Justice for the purposes of reducing gang, criminal activity, and youth violence to the extent authorized pursuant to this chapter in communities with a high incidence of gang violence, including, but not limited to, the communities of Fresno, Glendale, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Riverside, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Monica, and Venice. The department shall also consider communities that meet any one of the following criteria:
(1) An at-risk youth population, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 13825.4, that is significantly disproportionate to the general youth population of that community.
(2) A juvenile arrest rate that is significantly disproportionate to the general youth population of that community.
(3) Significant juvenile gang problems or a high number of juvenile gang-affiliated acts of violence.
(b) All state and local juvenile detention facilities, including, but not limited to, facilities, juvenile halls, youth ranches, and youth camps of the Department of the Youth Authority shall also be considered eligible to receive services through community-based organizations or nonprofit agencies that are operating programs funded under this chapter.
All funds made available to the Department of Justice for purposes of this chapter shall be disbursed in accordance with this chapter to community-based organizations and nonprofit agencies that comply with the program requirements of Section 13825.4 and the funding criteria of Section 13825.5 of this chapter.
(a) Funds disbursed under this chapter may enhance but shall not supplant local, state, or federal funds that would, in the absence of the California Gang, Crime, and Violence Prevention Partnership Program, be made available for the prevention or intervention of youth involvement in gangs, crime, or violence.
(b) The applicant community-based organization or nonprofit agency may enter into interagency agreements between it and a fiscal agent that will allow the fiscal agent to manage the funds awarded to the community-based organization or nonprofit agency.
(c) Before April 15, 1998, the department shall prepare and file administrative guidelines and procedures for the California Gang, Crime, and Violence Prevention Partnership Program consistent with this chapter.
(d) Before July 1, 1998, the department shall issue a "request for funding proposal" that informs applicants of the purposes and availability of funds to be awarded under this chapter and solicits proposals from community-based organizations and nonprofit agencies to provide services consistent with this chapter.
(e) The department shall conduct an evaluation of the California Gang, Crime, and Violence Prevention Partnership Program after two years of program operation and each year thereafter, for purposes of identifying the effectiveness and results of the program. The evaluation shall be conducted by staff or an independent body that has experience in evaluating programs operated by community-based organizations or nonprofit agencies.
(f) After two years of program operation, and each year thereafter, the department shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Legislature describing in detail the operation of the program and the results obtained from the California Gang, Crime, and Violence Prevention Partnership Program receiving funds under this chapter. The report shall also list the full costs applicable to the department for processing and reviewing applications, and for administering the California Gang, Crime, and Violence Prevention Partnership Program.
Community-based organizations and nonprofit agencies that receive funds under this chapter shall utilize the funds to provide services and activities designed to prevent or deter at-risk youth from participating in gangs, criminal activity, or violent behavior.
(b) Funds allocated under this chapter may not be used for services or activities related to suppression, law enforcement, incarceration, or other purposes not related to the prevention and deterrence of gangs, crime, and violence.
Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent funds allocated under this chapter from being used for violence prevention and gang crime deterrence services provided by community-based organizations and nonprofit agencies to youths incarcerated in juvenile detention facilities.
(c) Services and activities provided with funds under this chapter shall be used for at-risk youth who are defined as persons from age 5 to 20 years of age and who fall into one or more of the following categories:
(8) Are current or former gang members.
(9) Have one or more family members living at home who are current or former members of a gang.
(a) There is within the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, the Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy.
(b) (1) The Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy shall be responsible for identifying and evaluating state, local, and federal gang and youth violence suppression, intervention, and prevention programs and strategies, along with funding for those efforts. The director shall be responsible for monitoring, assessing, and coordinating the state's programs, strategies, and funding that address gang and youth violence in a manner that maximizes the effectiveness and coordination of those programs, strategies, and resources. The director shall communicate with local agencies and programs in an effort to promote the best practices for addressing gang and youth violence through suppression, intervention, and prevention.
(2) The office shall develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to define its mission, role, and responsibilities as a statewide entity dedicated to reducing violence and the proliferation of gangs and gang violence in California communities.
(3) In developing this set of recommendations, the office shall collaborate with a wide range of state and local stakeholders, including, but not limited to, community-based organizations serving at-risk populations and neighborhoods, law enforcement, educators, the courts, policy experts and scholars with expertise in the area of criminal street gangs, and local policymakers.
(4) The office, in collaboration with the stakeholders specified in paragraph (3), shall include in its deliberations the most effective role for the office with respect to the following:
(A) The collection and analysis of data on gang membership statewide and the effectiveness of various gang prevention efforts.
(B) The development of reliable and accurate sources of data to measure the scale and characteristics of California's gang problems.
(C) The development of a clearinghouse for research on gangs, at-risk youth, and prevention and intervention programs in order to identify best practices and evidence-based programming, as well as unsuccessful practices, and in order to promote effective strategies for reducing gang involvement and gang violence.
(D) Assisting state and local governmental and nongovernmental entities in developing violence and gang prevention strategies, including built-in evaluation components.
(E) The development of sustained coordination mechanisms among state, local, and regional entities.
(F) The identification of available or needed federal, state, regional, local, and private funding resources.
(G) Providing or otherwise promoting public education on effective programs, models, and strategies for the control of violence and serving as a clearinghouse for information on gang violence prevention issues, programs, resources, and research.
(H) Providing or otherwise promoting training and technical assistance to help build the capacity of organizations, communities, and local government to develop, implement, and evaluate gang violence prevention programs.
(I) Providing information and guidance to state and local governmental and nongovernmental entities on accessing state and federal resources to prevent gang violence.
(J) Facilitating greater integration between existing entities with respect to gang prevention efforts.
14000.—Repealed 2005. (a) The City and County of Los Angeles may establish
a Community Law Enforcement and Recovery (CLEAR) Demonstration Project, a multiagency
gang intervention program, which shall be administered by the City of Los Angeles
under a joint powers agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,
the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, the Los Angeles County Probation
Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s
office.
(b) The parties to the agreement shall work together to provide a flexible
and coordinated response to crime perpetrated by criminal street gangs, in particular
the "18th Street Gang," by addressing each community’s gang problems
and identifying the gangs associated with each community.
14001.—Repealed 2005. The role of each party to the agreement is as follows:
(a) The district attorney shall do all of the following:
(1) Appoint a Gang Intervention Coordinator and provide staff to the coordinator
for the purposes of coordinating the project among the parties and between the
parties and community groups.
(2) Conduct training for team members and outside agencies and prepare written
materials regarding successful coordinated antigang strategies.
(3) Track all arrests made by the CLEAR team and prepare reports on the progress
of the prosecution effort from the point of arrest through the final court disposition
of each case, including the length of imprisonment or the terms of probation
ordered.
(4) Vertically prosecute the most difficult cases generated by CLEAR team arrests
using novel and innovative prosecution strategies that include granting cross-designation
status to city prosecutors so that these cases may be effectively pursued in
superior court.
(5) Prepare and prosecute civil injunctions against gang activities occurring
within the target area.
(6) Coordinate prevention and intervention strategies with community-based
organizations, schools, and participating agencies and assist in the design
and implementation of these programs.
(b) The sheriff’s department shall do both of the following:
(1) Use jail and prison information to assist in the resolution of unsolved
homicides.
(2) Coordinate crime information between law enforcement agencies.
(c) The probation department shall do all of the following:
(1) Coordinate all target gang members on probation into one case load for
intensive supervision.
(2) Meet with community organizations and schools to assess their needs with
respect to gang intervention.
(3) Enforce probation terms and perform probation searches.
(4) Provide information on probationary status of gang members to local law
enforcement agencies.
(d) The police department shall do both of the following:
(1) Provide intensive law enforcement in areas most impacted by criminal street
gangs.
(2) Coordinate gang information with the sheriff’s department and probation
department to identify gang members for targeted law enforcement activities.
(e) The city attorney shall do all of the following:
(1) Prosecute misdemeanor criminal offenses.
(2) Coordinate civil building abatement and nuisance abatement activities.
(3) Conduct vertical prosecutions of gang members.
14002.—Repealed 2005. The parties shall be consolidated as a mobile response
unit that travels to each community that is targeted for gang intervention strategies
and operates from one central location in that community.
14005.—Repealed 2005. An independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the
CLEAR project, including a detailed cost-benefit analysis, shall be prepared
and submitted to the Legislature two years from the date that funds are initially
appropriated for the project, or six months after the end of the project, whichever
is earlier. The evaluation shall be submitted to the chairpersons of the Assembly
and Senate public safety committees, the chairpersons of the Assembly and Senate
fiscal committees, and the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.
The Board of Corrections shall choose the entity that will conduct the evaluation
through a competitive bidding process after sending out requests for proposals.
The evaluation shall include, but shall not be limited to, a description of
the extent to which the project has accomplished the following:
(a) A 5 percent increase in the resolution rate of gang homicides in the target
areas.
(b) A 5 percent decrease in violent felonies within the target area.
(c) A 5 percent decrease in nuisance activities by gangs in the target area.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), any person who does any of the following is guilty of a public offense and shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or in the state prison:
(1) Knowingly and maliciously prevents or dissuades any witness or victim from attending or giving testimony at any trial, proceeding, or inquiry authorized by law.
(2) Knowingly and maliciously attempts to prevent or dissuade any witness or victim from attending or giving testimony at any trial, proceeding, or inquiry authorized by law.
(3) For purposes of this section, evidence that the defendant was a family member who interceded in an effort to protect the witness or victim shall create a presumption that the act was without malice.
(b) Except as provided in subdivision
(c), every person who attempts to prevent or dissuade another person who has been the victim of a crime or who is witness to a crime from doing any of the following is guilty of a public offense and shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or in the state prison:
(1) Making any report of that victimization to any peace officer or state or local law enforcement officer or probation or parole or correctional officer or prosecuting agency or to any judge.
(2) Causing a complaint, indictment, information, probation or parole violation to be sought and prosecuted, and assisting in the prosecution thereof.
(3) Arresting or causing or seeking the arrest of any person in connection with that victimization.
(c) Every person doing any of the acts described in subdivision (a) or (b) knowingly and maliciously under any one or more of the following circumstances, is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years under any of the following circumstances:
(1) Where the act is accompanied by force or by an express or implied threat of force or violence, upon a witness or victim or any third person or the property of any victim, witness, or any third person.
(2) Where the act is in furtherance of a conspiracy.
(3) Where the act is committed by any person who has been convicted of any violation of this section, any predecessor law hereto or any federal statute or statute of any other state which, if the act prosecuted was committed in this state, would be a violation of this section.
(4) Where the act is committed by any person for pecuniary gain or for any other consideration acting upon the request of any other person. All parties to such a transaction are guilty of a felony.
(d) Every person attempting the commission of any act described in subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) is guilty of the offense attempted without regard to success or failure of the attempt. The fact that no person was injured physically, or in fact intimidated, shall be no defense against any prosecution under this section.
(e) Nothing in this section precludes the imposition of an enhancement for great bodily injury where the injury inflicted is significant or substantial.
(f) The use of force during the commission of any offense described in subdivision (c) shall be considered a circumstance in aggravation of the crime in imposing a term of imprisonment under subdivision (b) of Section 1170.
(Top)(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:
(a) The proliferation of gangs and gang-related crimes is no longer merely a matter facing urban communities and has become a matter of statewide concern;
(b) Gang activity involves a multitude of crimes, and illegal drug use and drug-trafficking constitute common factors associated with all gang-related activities and in the continuing pattern of gang-related violence;
(c) While the primary responsibility for law enforcement rests with local police and sheriffs' departments, drugs and drug-related crimes and gang-related criminal activity resulting therefrom have placed an overwhelming burden on the existing resources of all law enforcement agencies, especially rural departments. Therefore, the state has an obligation to make additional support available to local law enforcement through increased assistance in the investigation of narcotics and dangerous drug law violations; expanded training of local officers to improve their ability to interdict the sale and use of drugs in their communities; increased ability to assist in seizing moneys and properties utilized in drug transactions; improved forensic laboratory capability for the quantification and qualitative analysis of narcotics and dangerous drugs; and enhanced capability to collect, analyze, and disseminate information on drug- and gang-related criminal activity; and
(d) In order to contain the spread of gang violence, the development of a computerized database tracking system is necessary to improve the consistency of data shared by the different law enforcement and judicial elements of the criminal justice system, both within the state and among various states confronted with similar gang violence.
(2) For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "gang" means a group of three or more individuals with a common interest, bond, or activity characterized by criminal or delinquent conduct.
(3) To aid in the identification and location of gangs and gang members and to prevent recruitment of new gang members from both the population in general and persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation shall develop and maintain a computerized database system which tracks the whereabouts of identified gang members. Such database shall be compiled from reports submitted to the bureau pursuant to Section 16-21-103, C.R.S. Such information shall include the following:
(a) The person's name, along with any aliases;
(b) The person's last-known address;
(c) The person's date of birth;
(d) The date of any arrest and the arrest numbers, the investigating agency's case number, the final disposition of any criminal case filed with a court, and the court number; and
(e) Any information relevant to the person's association or affiliation with a gang or with gang activities.
(4) The bureau shall make every reasonable effort to locate and cooperate with other such databases in the United States in order to track gangs and gang members involved in interstate activities.
(Top)(a) The Chief State's Attorney shall establish a racketeering and continuing criminal activities unit within the Division of Criminal Justice. Such unit shall be available for the investigation and prosecution of criminal matters including, but not limited to, the illegal purchase and sale of controlled substances, criminal activity by gangs, fraud, corruption, illegal gambling, and the recruitment of persons to carry out such illegal activities.
(b) In any investigation or prosecution of a serious felony offense, the prosecutorial official shall review all witnesses to the offense and may identify any witness as a witness at risk of harm. Upon such identification, the prosecutorial official shall then determine whether a witness at risk of harm is critical to a criminal investigation or prosecution. If the witness at risk of harm is determined to be critical to such investigation or prosecution, the prosecutorial official may (1) certify that the witness receive protective services or (2) if the prosecutorial official finds a compelling need to temporarily relocate the witness, certify that the witness receive protective services including temporary relocation services. In determining whether a witness should receive protective services, the prosecutorial official shall give special consideration to a witness who is a child, elderly, or handicapped or otherwise more at risk of being intimidated, harassed, threatened, retaliated against, or subjected to physical violence or who is a witness in a case involving organized crime, gang activities, or drug trafficking or involving a high degree of risk to the witness.
(Top)Findings and Purpose
(a) The Council of the District of Columbia ("Council") has determined that there has been an increase in juvenile violence, juvenile gang activity, and crime by persons under the age of 17 years in the District of Columbia.
(b) The Council has determined that persons under the age of 17 years are particularly susceptible, because of their lack of maturity and experience, to participate in unlawful and gang-related activities and to be the victims of older perpetrators of crime.
(c) The Council has an obligation to provide for the protection of minors from each other and from other persons, for the enforcement of parental control over, and responsibility for, children, for the protection of the general public, and for the reduction of the incidence of juvenile criminal activities.
(d) The Council has determined that a curfew for those under the age of 17 years will be in the interest of the public health, safety, and general welfare and will help to attain these objectives and to diminish the undesirable impact of this conduct on the citizens of the District of Columbia.
(e) The Council determines that passage of a curfew law will protect the welfare of minors by:
Reducing the likelihood that minors will be the victims of criminal acts during the curfew hours;
(1) Reducing the likelihood that minors will become involved in criminal acts or exposed to narcotics trafficking during the curfew hours; and
(3) Aiding parents or guardians in carrying out their responsibility to exercise reasonable supervision of minors entrusted to their care.
(a) It shall be unlawful for a person to congregate in a group of 2 or more persons in public space on public property within the perimeter of a drug free zone established pursuant to § 33-582 and to fail to disperse after being instructed to disperse by a uniformed officer of the Police Department who reasonably believes the person is congregating for the purpose of participating in the use, purchase, or sale of illegal drugs.
(b) In making a determination that a person is congregating in a drug free zone for the purpose of participating in the use, purchase, or sale of illegal drugs, the totality of the circumstances involved shall be considered. Among the circumstances which may be considered in determining whether such purpose is manifested are:
(4) Such person is physically identified by the officer as a member of a gang or association which engages in illegal drug activity;
(Top)(1) As used in this section, the term "convicted" means, with respect to a person's felony offense, a determination of guilt which is the result of a trial or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld.
(2) Any person who has been convicted of a felony in any court of this state shall, within 48 hours after entering any county in this state, register with the sheriff of said county, be fingerprinted and photographed, and list the crime for which convicted, place of conviction, sentence imposed, if any, name, aliases, if any, address, and occupation. If the felony conviction is for an offense that was found, pursuant to s. 874.04, to have been committed for the purpose of benefiting, promoting, or furthering the interests of a criminal gang, the registrant shall identify himself or herself as such an offender. The Department of Law Enforcement, in consultation with appropriate local law enforcement agencies, may develop standardized practices for the inclusion of gang affiliation at the time of offender registration.
(3) Any person who has been convicted of a crime in any federal court or in any court of a state other than Florida, or of any foreign state or country, which crime if committed in Florida would be a felony, shall forthwith within 48 hours after entering any county in this state register with the sheriff of said county in the same manner as provided for in subsection (2).
(4) This section does not apply to an offender:
(a) Who has had his or her civil rights restored;
(b) Who has received a full pardon for the offense for which convicted;
(c) Who has been lawfully released from incarceration or other sentence or supervision for a felony conviction for more than 5 years prior to such time for registration, unless the offender is a fugitive from justice on a felony charge or has been convicted of any offense since release from such incarceration or other sentence or supervision;
(d) Who is a parolee or probationer under the supervision of the United States Parole Commission if the commission knows of and consents to the presence of the offender in Florida or is a probationer under the supervision of any federal probation officer in the state or who has been lawfully discharged from such parole or probation;
(e) Who is a sexual predator and has registered as required under s. 775.21;
(f) Who is a sexual offender and has registered as required in s. 943.0435 or s. 944.607; or
(g) Who is a career offender who has registered as required in s. 775.261 or s. 944.609.
(5) The failure of any such convicted felon to comply with this section:
(a) With regard to any felon not listed in paragraph (b), constitutes a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(b) With regard to any felon who has been found, pursuant to s. 874.04, to have committed any offense for the purpose of benefiting, promoting, or furthering the interests of a criminal gang, constitutes a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(6) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any law of this state relating to registration of criminals where the penalties for registration, notification, or reporting obligations are in addition to, or in excess of, those imposed by this section.
This chapter may be cited as the "Criminal Gang Prevention Act."
(1) The Legislature finds that it is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, or handicap, to be secure and protected from fear, intimidation, and physical harm caused by the activities of criminal gangs and their members. It is not the intent of this chapter to interfere with the exercise of the constitutionally protected rights of freedom of expression and association. The Legislature recognizes the constitutional right of every citizen to harbor and express beliefs on any lawful subject whatsoever, to lawfully associate with others who share similar beliefs, to petition lawfully constituted authority for a redress of perceived grievances, and to participate in the electoral process.
(2) The Legislature finds, however, that the state is facing a mounting crisis caused by criminal gangs whose members threaten and terrorize peaceful citizens and commit a multitude of crimes. These criminal gang activities, both individually and collectively, present a clear and present danger. Street gangs, terrorist organizations, and hate groups have evolved into increasingly sophisticated and complex organized crime groups in their criminal tactics, schemes, and brutality. The state has a compelling interest in preventing criminal gang activity and halting the real and present danger posed by the proliferation of criminal gangs and the graduation from more primitive forms of criminal gangs to highly sophisticated criminal gangs. For these reasons, the Legislature finds that the provisions of this chapter are essential to maintain public order and safety.
(3) It is the intent of the Legislature to outlaw certain conduct associated with the existence and proliferation of criminal gangs, provide enhanced criminal penalties, and eliminate the patterns, profits, proceeds, instrumentalities, and property facilitating criminal gang activity, including criminal gang recruitment.
(4) The Legislature finds that the timely reporting and exchange of criminal gang information facilitates the ability of law enforcement agencies to monitor and anticipate criminal activities of gangs and their members. Additionally, the timely and standardized reporting of such criminal gang information supports the identification of gang members via the criminal justice information system and directly contributes to law enforcement officers' safety. For these reasons, it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage state and local law enforcement agencies to facilitate the exchange of crime data information through the statewide criminal gang database as provided in s. 874.09.
(Top)This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act."
(a) The General Assembly finds and declares that it is the right of every person
to be secure and protected from fear, intimidation, and physical harm caused
by the activities of violent groups and individuals. It is not the intent of
this chapter to interfere with
the exercise of the constitutionally protected rights of freedom of expression
and association. The General Assembly recognizes the constitutional right of
every citizen to harbor and express beliefs on any lawful subject whatsoever,
to associate lawfully with others who share similar beliefs, to petition lawfully
constituted authority for a redress of perceived grievances, and to participate
in the electoral process.
(b) The General Assembly, however, further finds that the State of Georgia is in a state of crisis which has been caused by violent street gangs whose members threaten, terrorize, and commit a multitude of crimes against the peaceful citizens of their neighborhoods. These activities, both individually and collectively, present a clear and present danger to public order and safety and are not constitutionally protected.
(c) The General Assembly finds that there are criminal street gangs operating in Georgia and that the number of gang related murders is increasing. It is the intent of the General Assembly in enacting this chapter to seek the eradication of criminal activity by street gangs by focusing upon patterns of criminal gang activity and upon the organized nature of street gangs which together are the chief source of terror created by street gangs.
(d) The General Assembly further finds that an effective means of punishing and deterring the criminal activities of street gangs is through forfeiture of the profits, proceeds, and instrumentalities acquired, accumulated, or used by street gangs.
There shall be established as part of the Prosecuting Attorney's Council the Criminal Street Gang Reward Fund. The chief of police, sheriff, or chairperson of any county governing authority may request the posting of up to $5,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in criminal street gang activity that leads to the death or maiming of another person or property damage in the amount of $2,500.00 or more.
However, if the person is charged with a serious violent felony and has already been convicted of a serious violent felony, or of an offense under the laws of any other state or of the United States which offense if committed in this state would be a serious violent felony, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required or assure the safety of any other person or the community. As used in this subsection, the term "serious violent felony" means a serious violent felony as defined in Code Section 17-10-6.1.
(f)(4) If probable cause is shown that the offense charged is in furtherance of a pattern of criminal gang activity as defined by Code Section 16-15-3, the court shall require increased bail and shall include as a condition of bail or pretrial release that the defendant shall not have contact of any kind or character with any other member or associate of a criminal street gang and that the defendant shall not have contact of any kind or character with the victim or any member of the victim’s family or household.
The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) Criminal street gang activity is a serious and continuing public safety concern;
(2) Criminal trespass and criminal damage to property in the second degree caused by graffiti being placed unlawfully upon private property are crimes frequently associated with criminal street gang activity; and
(3) It is in the public interest, not only in the pursuit of justice but also as a means of combating such criminal street gang activity and of contributing to the general public welfare by improving the esthetics of public views, to compensate as provided in this chapter those private property owners who are the innocent victims of such criminal trespass or criminal damage to property in the second degree by using inmate labor to remove or obliterate graffiti unlawfully placed on private properties when such graffiti is visible from public roads or other public property.
(Top)This chapter does not prevent any county, city, or other political subdivision from adopting and enforcing ordinances or resolutions consistent with this chapter relating to criminal gangs and criminal gang violations.
(Top)(b) There is hereby established in the Division of Operations the Office of Coordination of Gang Prevention, hereafter referred to as the Office.
The Office shall consult with units of local government and school districts to assist them in gang control activities and to administer a system of grants to units of local government and school districts that, upon application, have demonstrated a workable plan to reduce gang activity in their area. The grants shall not include reimbursement for personnel, nor shall they exceed 75% of the total request by any applicant. The grants may be calculated on a proportional basis, determined by funds available to the Department for this purpose. The Department has the authority to promulgate appropriate rules and regulations to administer this program.
The Office shall establish mobile units of trained personnel to respond to gang activities.
The Office shall also consult with and use the services of religious leaders and other celebrities to assist in gang control activities.
The Office may sponsor seminars, conferences, or any other educational activity to assist communities in their gang crime control activities.
To assist victims and witnesses in gang crime prosecutions through the administration of funds appropriated from the Gang Violence Victims and Witnesses Fund to the Department. Those funds shall be appropriated to the Department and shall only be used to assist victims and witnesses in gang crime prosecutions. The assistance may include any of the following:
(1) Temporary living costs.
(2) Moving expenses.
(3) Closing costs on the sale of a private residence.
(4) First month's rent.
(5) Security deposits.
(6) Apartment location assistance.
(7) Other expenses that the Department considers appropriate.
(8) Compensation for any loss of or injury to real or personal property resulting from a gang crime to a maximum of $ 5,000, subject to the following provisions:
(A) In the case of loss of property, the amount of compensation shall be measured by the replacement cost of similar or like property that has been incurred by and that is substantiated by the property owner.
(B) In the case of injury to property, the amount of compensation shall be measured by the cost of repair incurred and that can be substantiated by the property owner.
(C) Compensation under this provision is a secondary source of compensation and shall be reduced by any amount the property owner receives from any other source as compensation for the loss or injury, including, but not limited to, personal insurance coverage.
(D) No compensation may be awarded if the property owner was an offender or an accomplice of the offender or if the award would unjustly benefit the offender or offenders or an accomplice of the offender or offenders.
No victim or witness may receive assistance under this Section if he or she is not a part of or fails to fully cooperate in the prosecution of gang crime members by law enforcement authorities.
(b) Any community-based organization seeking to have a project approved for a grant must submit an application to the Department describing its potential contributors and the nature and benefit of the project, such as the number of youth to be served by the project, performance standards or benchmarks, and monetary benefits of the project such as additional non-State funds leveraged or new State or local taxes generated.
The application must also address how the following criteria will be met:
(1) The project must contribute to the self-help efforts of the residents of the area involved.
(2) The project must involve the residents of the area in planning and implementing the project.
(3) The project must lack sufficient resources.
(4) The community-based organization must be fiscally responsible for the project.
(c) The project must provide alternatives to participation in gangs by juveniles in one of the following ways:
(1) by creating permanent jobs;
(2) by stimulating neighborhood business activity;
(3) by providing job training services;
(4) by providing youth recreation and athletic activities; or
(5) by strengthening any community-based organizations whose objectives are similar to those listed in items 1 through 4 above.
(d) If the community-based organization demonstrates its ability to meet the criteria in subsection (b), and will provide juvenile gang alternatives in 1 of the ways listed in subsection (c), the Department shall approve the organization's proposed projects and specify the amount of grant it is eligible to receive for such project. Comments from State-elected officials representing the districts in which the project is proposed to be located shall be solicited by the Department in making the decision.
(a) The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that it is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability, to be secure and protected from fear, intimidation, and physical harm caused by the activities of violent groups and individuals. It is not the intent of this Act to interfere with the exercise of the constitutionally protected rights of freedom of expression and association. The General Assembly hereby recognizes the constitutional right of every citizen to harbor and express beliefs on any lawful subject whatsoever, to lawfully associate with others who share similar beliefs, to petition lawfully constituted authority for a redress of perceived grievances, and to participate in the electoral process.
(b) The General Assembly finds, however, that urban, suburban, and rural communities, neighborhoods and schools throughout the State are being terrorized and plundered by street gangs. The General Assembly finds that there are now several hundred street gangs operating in Illinois, and that while their terrorism is most widespread in urban areas, street gangs are spreading into suburban and rural areas of Illinois.
(c) The General Assembly further finds that street gangs are often controlled by criminally sophisticated adults who take advantage of our youth by intimidating and coercing them into membership by employing them as drug couriers and runners, and by using them to commit brutal crimes against persons and property to further the financial benefit to and dominance of the street gang.
(d) These street gangs’ activities present a clear and present danger to public order and safety and are not constitutionally protected. No society is or should be required to endure such activities without redress. Accordingly, it is the intent of the General Assembly in enacting this Act to create a civil remedy against street gangs and their members that upon patterns of criminal gang activity and upon the organized nature of street gangs, which together have been the chief source of their success
(a) A civil cause of action is hereby created in favor of any pubic authority expending money, allocating or reallocating police, firefighting, emergency or other personnel or resources, or otherwise incurring any loss, deprivation, or injury, or sustaining any damage, impairment, or harm whatsoever, proximately caused by any course or pattern of criminal activity.
(b) The cause of action created by this Act shall lie against:
(1) any streetgang in whose name, for whose benefit, on whose behalf, or under whose direction the act was committed- and (2) any gang officer or director who causes, orders, suggests, authorizes, consents to, agrees to, requests, acquiesces in, or ratifies any such act; and
(3) any gang member who, in the furtherance of or in connection with, any gang-related activity, commits any such act; and
(4) any gang officer, director, leader, or member.
(c) The cause of action authorized by this Act shall be brought by the State’s Attorney or attorneys or by his or their designees. This cause of action shall be in addition to any other civil or criminal proceeding authorized by the laws of this State or by federal law, and shall not be construed as requiring the State’s Attorney or his designee to elect a civil, rather than criminal remedy, or as replacing ally other cause of action. Liability of the gang, its officers, directors leaders, and members shall be joint and severable subject only to the apportionment and allocation of punitive damage authorized under Section 35 of this Act.
(a) An action may be commenced under this Act by the filing of a verified complaint as in civil cases.
(b) A complaint filed under this Act, and all other ancillary or collateral matters arising therefrom, including matter relating to discovery, motions, trial, and the perfection or execution of judgments shall be subject to the Code of Civil Procedure, except as may be otherwise provided in this Act, or except as the court may otherwise order upon motion of the State’s Attorney or his designee in matters relating to immunity or the physical safety of witnesses.
(c) The complaint shall name each complaining State’s Attorney or his designee, and the public authority represented by him or by them.
(d) The complaint shall also name as defendants the gang, all known gang officers, and any gang members specifically identified or alleged in the complaint as having participated in a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity. The complaint may also name, as a class of defendants, all unknown gang members.
(e) When, at any point prior to trial, other specific gang officers or members become known, the complaint may be amended to include any such person as a named defendant.
(a) In an action brought under this Act, venue shall lie in any county where an act charged in the complaint as part of a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity committed.
(b) It shall not be necessary for all offenses necessary to establishing a course or pattern of criminal activity to have occurred in any one county where the State’s Attorneys of several counties, or their designees, each complaining of any offense, elected to join in a complaint. In such instance, it shall be sufficient that the complaint, taken as a whole, alleges a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity, and each count of any such joint complaint shall be considered as cumulative to other counts for purposes of alleging or demonstrating such a course or pattern of activity.
(c) Where a course or pattern of activity is alleged to have been committed or to have occurred in more than one county, the State’s Attorney of each such county, or their designees, may join their several causes of action in a single complaint, which may be filed in any such county agreed to by or among them, but no such joinder shall be had without the consent of the State’s Attorney having jurisdiction over each offense alleged as part of the course or pattern of activity.
(a) All streetgangs and streetgang members engaged in a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity within this State impliedly consent to service of process upon them as set forth in this Section, or as may be otherwise authorized by the Code of Civil Procedure.
(b) Service of process upon a streetgang may be had by leaving a copy of the complaint and summons directed to any officer of such gang, commanding the gang to appear and answer the complaint or otherwise plead at a time and place certain:
(1) with any gang officer; or
(2) with any individual member of the gang simultaneously named therein; or
(3) in the manner provided for service upon a voluntary unincorporated association in a civil action; or
(4) in the manner provided for service by publication in a civil action; or
(5) with any parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian of any persons charged with a gang-related offense when any person sued civilly under this Act is under 18 years of age and is also charged criminally or as a delinquent minor; or
(6) with the director of any agency or department of this State who is the legal guardian, guardianship administrator, or custodian of any person sued under this Act; or
(7) with the probation or parole officer of any person sued under this Act; or
(8) with such other person or agent as the court may, upon petition of the State’s Attorney or his designee, authorize as appropriate and reasonable under all of the circumstances.
(c) If after being summoned a streetgang does not appear, the court shall enter an answer for the streetgang neither affirming nor denying the allegations of the complaint but demanding strict proof thereof, and proceed to trial and judgment without further process.
(d) When any person is named as a defendant streetgang member in any complaint, or subsequently becomes known and is added or joined as a named defendant, service of process may be had as authorized or provided for in the Code of Civil Procedure for service of process in a civil ease.
(e) Unknown gang members may be sued as a class and designated as such in the caption of any complaint filed under this Act. Service of process upon unknown members may be made in the manner prescribed for provision of notice to members of a class in a class action, or as the court may direct for providing the best service and notice practicable under the circumstances which shall include individual, personal, or other service upon all members who can be identified and located through reasonable effort.
(a) In any action brought under this Act, and upon the verified application of the State’s Attorney or his designee, the circuit court may at any time enter such restraining orders, injunctions, or other prohibitions, or order such other relief as it deems proper, including but not limited to ordering any person to divest himself of any involvement or interest, direct or indirect, in any illegal streetgang activity and imposing other reasonable restrictions on the future illegal activities of any defendant.
(b) A final judgment in favor of a public authority under this Act shall entitle it to recover compensatory damages for all damages, losses, impairments, or other harm proximately caused, together with the costs of the suit and reasonable attorneys’ fees. Punitive damages may be assessed against any streetgang, against any streetgang officer or member found guilty of actual participation in or to be legally accountable for a course or pattern of criminal activity under this Act.
Sec. 1–7. Confidentiality of law enforcement records. (A) Inspection and copying of law enforcement records maintained by law enforcement agencies that relate to a minor who has been arrested or taken into custody before his or her 17th birthday shall be restricted to the following:
(1) Any local, state, or federal law enforcement officers of any jurisdiction or agency when necessary for the discharge of their official duties during the investigation or prosecution of a crime or relating to a minor who has been adjudicated delinquent and there has been a previous finding that the act which constitutes the previous offense was committed in furtherance of criminal activities by a criminal street gang. For purposes of this Section, "criminal street gang" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act [740 ILCS 147/10].
Sec. 1–8. Confidentiality and accessibility of juvenile court records. (A) Inspection and copying of juvenile court records relating to a minor who is the subject of a proceeding under this Act shall be restricted to the following:
(2) Law enforcement officers and law enforcement agencies when such information is essential to executing an arrest or search warrant or other compulsory process, or to conducting an ongoing investigation or relating to a minor who has been adjudicated delinquent and there has been a previous finding that the act which constitutes the previous offense was committed in furtherance of criminal activities by a criminal street gang.
Before July 1, 1994, for the purposes of this Section, "criminal street gang" means any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more people, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of one or more criminal acts and that has a common name or common identifying sign, symbol, or specific color apparel displayed, and whose members individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal activity.
Beginning July 1, 1994, for purposes of this Section, "criminal street gang" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act [740 ILCS 147/10].
(a) A person commits the offense of unlawful contact with streetgang members when:
(1) He or she knowingly has direct or indirect contact with a streetgang member as defined in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act [740 ILCS 147/10] after having been sentenced to probation, conditional discharge, or supervision for a criminal offense with a condition of such sentence being to refrain from direct or indirect contact with a streetgang member or members; or
(2) He or she knowingly has direct or indirect contact with a streetgang member as defined in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act [740 ILCS 147/10] after having been released on bond for any criminal offense with a condition of such bond being to refrain from direct or indirect contact with a streetgang member or members.
(b) Unlawful contact with streetgang members is a Class A misdemeanor.
(c) This Section does not apply to a person when the only streetgang member or members he or she is with is a family or household member or members as defined in paragraph (3) of Section 112A-3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 [720 ILCS 5/112A-3] and the streetgang members are not engaged in any streetgang-related activity.
(a) The State's Attorney, or a person designated in writing or by law to act for him and to perform his duties during his absence or disability, may authorize, in writing, an ex parte application to the chief judge of a court of competent jurisdiction for an order authorizing the interception of a private communication when no party has consented to the interception and (i) the interception may provide evidence of or may assist in the apprehension of a person who has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a violation of Section 8-1.1 [720 ILCS 5/8-1.1] (solicitation of murder), 8-1.2 [720 ILCS 5/8-1.2] (solicitation of murder for hire), 9-1 [720 ILCS 5/9-1] (first degree murder), or 29B-1 [720 ILCS 5/29B-1] (money laundering) of the Criminal Code of 1961, Section 401, 401.1 (controlled substance trafficking), 405, 405.1 (criminal drug conspiracy) or 407 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or any Section of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act [720 ILCS 570/401, 720 ILCS 570/401.1, 720 ILCS 570/405, 720 ILCS 570/405.1 or 720 ILCS 570/407 or 720 ILCS 646/1 et seq.], a violation of Section 24-2.1, 24-2.2, 24-3, 24-3.1, 24-3.3, 24-3.4, 24-4, or 24-5 or subsection 24-1(a)(4), 24-1(a)(6), 24-1(a)(7), 24-1(a)(9), 24-1(a)(10), or 24-1(c) of the Criminal Code of 1961 [720 ILCS 5/24-2.1, 720 ILCS 5/24-2.2, 720 ILCS 5/24-3, 720 ILCS 5/24-3.1, 720 ILCS 5/24-3.3, 720 ILCS 5/24-3.4, 720 ILCS 5/24-4 or 720 ILCS 5/24-5 or 720 ILCS 5/24-1] or conspiracy to commit money laundering or conspiracy to commit first degree murder; (ii) in response to a clear and present danger of imminent death or great bodily harm to persons resulting from: (1) a kidnapping or the holding of a hostage by force or the threat of the imminent use of force; or (2) the occupation by force or the threat of the imminent use of force of any premises, place, vehicle, vessel or aircraft; (iii) to aid an investigation or prosecution of a civil action brought under the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act [740 ILCS 147/1 et seq.] when there is probable cause to believe the interception of the private communication will provide evidence that a streetgang is committing, has committed, or will commit a second or subsequent gang-related offense or that the interception of the private communication will aid in the collection of a judgment entered under that Act; or (iv) upon information and belief that a streetgang has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a felony.
Illinois 725 ILCS 172/5-1. (For postponed repeal of this Act, see 725 ILCS 172/5-30) Short title
Sec. 5-1. This Article may be cited as the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act, and references in this Article to "this Act" mean this Article.
Illinois 725 ILCS 172/5-5. (For postponed repeal of this Act, see 725 ILCS 172/5-30) Definition
Sec. 5-5. As used in this Act, "gang crime" means any criminal offense committed by a member of a "gang" as that term is defined in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act [740 ILCS 147/10] when the offense is in furtherance of any activity, enterprise, pursuit, or undertaking of a gang.
Illinois 725 ILCS 172/5-10. (For postponed repeal of this Act, see 725 ILCS 172/5-30) Pilot program
Sec. 5-10. The Department of State Police shall establish and administer a pilot program to assist victims and witnesses who are actively aiding in the prosecution of perpetrators of gang crime and appropriate related persons. Financial assistance may be provided, upon application by a State's Attorney or the Attorney General, or a chief executive of a police agency with the approval from the State's Attorney or Attorney General, investigating or prosecuting a gang crime occurring under the State's Attorney's or Attorney General's respective jurisdiction, from funds deposited in the Gang Crime Witness Protection Fund and appropriated from that Fund for the purposes of this Act.
Illinois 725 ILCS 172/5-15. (For postponed repeal of this Act, see 725 ILCS 172/5-30) Funding
Sec. 5-15. The Department of State Police, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall promulgate rules for the implementation of the Gang Crime Witness Protection Program. Assistance shall be subject to the following limitations:
(a) Funds shall be limited to payment of the following:
(1) temporary living costs;
(2) moving expenses;
(3) rent;
(4) security deposits; and
(5) other appropriate expenses of relocation or transition;
(b) Approval of applications made by State's Attorneys shall be conditioned upon county funding for costs at a level of at least 25%, unless this requirement is waived by the administrator, in accordance with promulgated rules, for good cause shown;
(c) Counties providing assistance consistent with the limitations in this Act may apply for reimbursement of up to 75% of their costs; and
(d) No more than 50% of funding available in any given fiscal year may be used for costs associated with any single county.
Illinois 725 ILCS 172/5-20. (For postponed repeal of this Act, see 725 ILCS 172/5-30) Gang Crime Witness Protection Fund
Sec. 5-20. There is created in the State Treasury the Gang Crime Witness Protection Fund into which shall be deposited appropriated funds, grants, or other funds made available to the Department of State Police to assist State's Attorneys and the Attorney General in protecting victims and witnesses who are aiding in the prosecution of perpetrators of gang crime and appropriate related persons.
Illinois 725 ILCS 172/5-30. Repeal
Sec. 5-30. Repeal. This Act is repealed on July 1, 2012.
(725 ILCS 172/5-35)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2004)
Sec. 5-35. Continuation of Act; Validation
(a) The General Assembly finds and declares that:
(1) When the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act was originally enacted by Public Act 89-498, effective June 27, 1996, it included a Section 5-30, which repealed the Act on June 30, 1998.
(2) Senate Bill 1846 of the 90th General Assembly included a provision that amended the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act by changing Section 5-30 to make the Act’s repeal date June 30, 1999. Senate Bill 1846 passed both houses on May 21, 1998. Senate Bill 1846 provided that it took effect upon becoming law. Senate Bill 1846 was sent to the Governor on June 19, 1998. Senate Bill 1846 was not approved by the Governor until August 14, 1998. Senate Bill 1846 became Public Act 90-795.
(3) The Statute on Statutes sets forth general rules on the repeal of statutes, but Section 1 of that Act also states that these rules will not be observed when the result would be "inconsistent with the manifest intent of the General Assembly or repugnant to the context of the statute".
(4) The actions of the General Assembly clearly manifest the intention of the General Assembly to change the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act’s repeal date to June 30, 1999.
(5) Any construction of Section 5-30 of the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act that results in the repeal of the Act on June 30, 1998 would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the General Assembly.
(b) It is hereby declared to have been the intent of the General Assembly,
in enacting Public Act 90-795, that Section 5-30 of the Gang Crime Witness Protection
Act be changed to make June 30, 1999 the repeal
date of the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act, and that the Gang Crime Witness
Protection Act therefore not be subject to repeal on June 30, 1998.
(c) The Gang Crime Witness Protection Act shall be deemed to have been in continuous effect since its original effective date, and it shall continue to be in effect until it is otherwise repealed.
(d) All actions taken in reliance on or pursuant to the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act by any officer or agency of State government or any other person or entity are validated.
(e) To ensure the continuing effectiveness of the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act, it is set forth in full and re-enacted by this amendatory Act. This re-enactment is intended as a continuation of the Act. It is not intended to supersede any amendment to the Act that is enacted by the General Assembly.
(f) This Act applies to all claims, civil actions, and proceedings pending on or filed on, before, or after the effective date of this amendatory Act.
(g) The General Assembly also intends in this amendatory Act to change the repeal date of the Gang Crime Witness Protection Act to July 1, 2004.
(740 ILCS 147/1)
Sec. 1. Short title. This Article may be cited as the Illinois
Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.
(Source: P.A. 87-932.)
(740 ILCS 147/5)
(740 ILCS 147/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions
"Course or pattern of criminal activity" means 2 or more gang-related
criminal offenses committed in whole or in part within this State when:
(1) at least one such offense was committed after the effective date of this Act;
(2) both offenses were committed within 5 years of each other; and
(3) at least one offense involved the solicitation to commit, conspiracy to commit, attempt to commit, or commission of any offense defined as a felony or forcible felony under the Criminal Code of 1961.
"Designee of State’s Attorney" or "designee" means any attorney for a public authority who has received written permission from the State’s Attorney to file or join in a civil action authorized by this Act.
"Public authority" means any unit of local government or school district created or established under the Constitution or laws of this State.
"State’s Attorney" means the State’s Attorney of any county where an offense constituting a part of a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity has occurred or has been committed.
"Streetgang" or "gang" or "organized gang" or "criminal street gang" means any combination, confederation, alliance, network, conspiracy, understanding, or other similar conjoining, in law or in fact, of 3 or more persons with an established hierarchy that, through its membership or through the agency of any member engages in a course or pattern of criminal activity.
For purposes of this Act, it shall not be necessary to show that a particular conspiracy, combination, or conjoining of persons possesses, acknowledges, or is known by any common name, insignia, flag, means of recognition, secret signal or code, creed, belief, structure, leadership or command structure, method of operation or criminal enterprise, concentration or specialty, membership, age, or other qualifications, initiation rites, geographical or territorial situs or boundary or location, or other unifying mark, manner, protocol or method of expressing or indicating membership when the conspiracy’s existence, in law or in fact, can be demonstrated by a preponderance of other competent evidence. However, any evidence reasonably tending to show or demonstrate, in law or in fact, the existence of or membership in any conspiracy, confederation, or other association described herein, or probative of the existence of or membership in any such association, shall be admissible in any action or proceeding brought under this Act.
"Streetgang member" or "gang member" means any person who actually and in fact belongs to a gang, and any person who knowingly acts in the capacity of an agent for or accessory to, or is legally accountable for, or voluntarily associates himself with a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity, whether in a preparatory, executory, or cover-up phase of any activity, or who knowingly performs, aids, or abets any such activity.
"Streetgang related" or "gang-related" means any criminal activity, enterprise, pursuit, or undertaking directed by, ordered by, authorized by, consented to, agreed to, requested by, acquiesced in, or ratified by any gang leader, officer, or governing or policy-making person or authority, or by any agent, representative, or deputy of any such officer, person, or authority:
(1) with the intent to increase the gang’s size, membership, prestige, dominance, or control in any geographical area; or
(2) with the intent to provide the gang with any advantage in, or any control or dominance over any criminal market sector, including but not limited to, the manufacture, delivery, or sale of controlled substances or cannabis; arson or arson-for-hire; traffic in stolen property or stolen credit cards; traffic in prostitution, obscenity, or pornography; or that involves robbery, burglary, or theft; or
(3) with the intent to exact revenge or retribution for the gang or any member of the gang; or
(4) with the intent to obstruct justice, or intimidate or eliminate any witness against the gang or any member of the gang; or
(5) with the intent to otherwise directly or indirectly cause any benefit,
aggrandizement, gain, profit or other advantage whatsoever to or for the gang,
its reputation, influence, or membership.
(Source: P.A. 87-932; 88-467.)
(740 ILCS 147/15)
Sec. 15. Creation of Civil Cause of Action
(a) A civil cause of action is hereby created in favor of any public authority expending money, allocating or reallocating police, firefighting, emergency or other personnel or resources, or otherwise incurring any loss, deprivation, or injury, or sustaining any damage, impairment, or harm whatsoever, proximately caused by any course or pattern of criminal activity.
(b) The cause of action created by this Act shall lie against:
(1) any streetgang in whose name, for whose benefit, on whose behalf, or under whose direction the act was committed; and
(2) any gang officer or director who causes, orders, suggests, authorizes, consents to, agrees to, requests, acquiesces in, or ratifies any such act; and
(3) any gang member who, in the furtherance of or in connection with, any gang-related activity, commits any such act; and
(4) any gang officer, director, leader, or member.
(c) The cause of action authorized by this Act shall be brought by the State’s
Attorney or attorneys, or by his or their designees. This cause of action shall
be in addition to any other civil or criminal proceeding authorized by the laws
of this State or by federal law, and shall not be construed as requiring the
State’s Attorney or his designee to elect a civil, rather than criminal remedy,
or as replacing any other cause of action. Liability of the gang, its officers,
directors, leaders, and members shall be joint and severable subject only to
the apportionment and allocation of punitive damage authorized under Section
35 of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 87-932.)
(740 ILCS 147/20)
Sec. 20. Commencement of Action
(a) An action may be commenced under this Act by the filing of a verified complaint as in civil cases.
(b) A complaint filed under this Act, and all other ancillary or collateral matters arising therefrom, including matter relating to discovery, motions, trial, and the perfection or execution of judgments shall be subject to the Code of Civil Procedure, except as may be otherwise provided in this Act, or except as the court may otherwise order upon motion of the State’s Attorney or his designee in matters relating to immunity or the physical safety of witnesses.
(c) The complaint shall name each complaining State’s Attorney or his designee, and the public authority represented by him or by them.
(d) The complaint shall also name as defendants the gang, all known gang officers, and any gang members specifically identified or alleged in the complaint as having participated in a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity. The complaint may also name, as a class of defendants, all unknown gang members.
(e) When, at any point prior to trial, other specific gang officers or members
become known, the complaint may be amended to include any such person as a named
defendant.
(Source: P.A. 87-932.)
(740 ILCS 147/25)
Sec. 25. Venue
(a) In an action brought under this Act, venue shall lie in any county where an act charged in the complaint as part of a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity was committed.
(b) It shall not be necessary for all offenses necessary to establishing a course or pattern of criminal activity to have occurred in any one county where the State’s Attorneys of several counties, or their designees, each complaining of any offense, elected to join in a complaint. In such instance, it shall be sufficient that the complaint, taken as a whole, alleges a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity, and each count of any such joint complaint shall be considered as cumulative to other counts for purposes of alleging or demonstrating such a course or pattern of activity.
(c) Where a course or pattern of activity is alleged to have been committed
or to have occurred in more than one county, the State’s Attorney of each such
county, or their designees, may join their several causes of action in a single
complaint, which may be filed in any such county agreed to by or among them,
but no such joinder shall be had without the consent of the State’s Attorney
having jurisdiction over each offense alleged as part of the course or pattern
of activity.
(Source: P.A. 87-932.)
(740 ILCS 147/30)
Sec. 30. Service of Process
(a) All streetgangs and streetgang members engaged in a course or pattern of gang-related criminal activity within this State impliedly consent to service of process upon them as set forth in this Section, or as may be otherwise authorized by the Code of Civil Procedure.
(b) Service of process upon a streetgang may be had by leaving a copy of the complaint and summons directed to any officer of such gang, commanding the gang to appear and answer the complaint or otherwise plead at a time and place certain:
(1) with any gang officer; or
(2) with any individual member of the gang simultaneously named therein; or
(3) in the manner provided for service upon a voluntary unincorporated association in a civil action; or
(4) in the manner provided for service by publication in a civil action; or
(5) with any parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian of any persons charged with a gang-related offense when any person sued civilly under this Act is under 18 years of age and is also charged criminally or as a delinquent minor; or
(6) with the director of any agency or department of this State who is the legal guardian, guardianship administrator, or custodian of any person sued under this Act; or
(7) with the probation or parole officer of any person sued under this Act; or
(8) with such other person or agent as the court may, upon petition of the State’s Attorney or his designee, authorize as appropriate and reasonable under all of the circumstances.
(c) If after being summoned a streetgang does not appear, the court shall enter an answer for the streetgang neither affirming nor denying the allegations of the complaint but demanding strict proof thereof, and proceed to trial and judgment without further process.
(d) When any person is named as a defendant streetgang member in any complaint, or subsequently becomes known and is added or joined as a named defendant, service of process may be had as authorized or provided for in the Code of Civil Procedure for service of process in a civil case.
(e) Unknown gang members may be sued as a class and designated as such in the
caption of any complaint filed under this Act. Service of process upon unknown
members may be made in the manner prescribed for provision of notice to members
of a class in a class action, or as the court may direct for providing the best
service and notice practicable under the circumstances which shall include individual,
personal, or other service upon all members who can be identified and located
through reasonable effort.
(Source: P.A. 87-932.)
(740 ILCS 147/35)
Sec. 35. Injunctive Relief, Damages, Costs, and Fees
(a) In any action brought under this Act, and upon the verified application of the State’s Attorney or his designee, the circuit court may at any time enter such restraining orders, injunctions, or other prohibitions, or order such other relief as it deems proper, including but not limited to ordering any person to divest himself of any involvement or interest, direct or indirect, in any illegal streetgang activity and imposing other reasonable restrictions on the future illegal activities of any defendant.
(b) A final judgement in favor of a public authority under this Act shall entitle
it to recover compensatory damages for all damages, losses, impairments, or
other harm proximately caused, together with the costs of the suit and reasonable
attorneys’ fees. Punitive damages may be assessed against any streetgang, against
any streetgang officer or member found guilty of actual participation in or
to be legally accountable for a course or pattern of criminal activity under
this Act.
(Source: P.A. 87-932.)
(740 ILCS 147/40)
Sec. 40. Contraband
(a) The following are declared to be contraband and no person shall have a property interest in them:
(1) any property that is directly or indirectly used or intended for use in any manner to facilitate streetgang related activity; and
(2) any property constituting or derived from gross profits or other proceeds obtained from streetgang related activity.
(b) Within 60 days of the date of the seizure of contraband under this Section,
the State’s Attorney shall initiate forfeiture proceedings as provided in Article
36 of the Criminal Code of 1961. An owner or person who has a lien on the property
may establish as a defense to the forfeiture of property that is subject to
forfeiture under this Section that the owner or lienholder had no knowledge
that the property was acquired through a pattern of streetgang related activity.
Property that is forfeited under this Section shall be disposed of as provided
in Article 36 of the Criminal Code of 1961 for the forfeiture of vehicles, vessels,
and aircraft. The proceeds of the disposition shall be paid to the Gang Violence
Victims and Witnesses Fund to be used to assist in the prosecution of gang crimes.
(Source: P.A. 91-876, eff. 1-1-01.)
(740 ILCS 147/45)
Sec. 45. Abatement as Public Nuisance
(a) Any real property that is erected, established, maintained, owned, leased, or used by any streetgang for the purpose of conducting streetgang related activity constitutes a public nuisance and may be abated as provided in Article 37 of the Criminal Code of 1961 relating to public nuisances.
(b) An action to abate a nuisance under this Section may be brought by the State’s Attorney of the county where the seizure occurred.
(c) Any person who is injured by reason of streetgang related activity shall
have a cause of action for 3 times the actual damages sustained and, if appropriate,
punitive damages; however, no cause of action shall arise under this subsection
(c) as a result of an otherwise legitimate commercial transaction between parties
to a contract or agreement for the sale of lawful goods or property or the sale
of securities regulated by the Illinois Securities Law of 1953 or by the federal
Securities and Exchange Commission. The person shall also recover reasonable
attorney’s fees, costs, and expenses.
(Source: P.A. 91-876, eff. 1-1-01.)
(720 ILCS 5/33-4)
Sec. 33-4. Peace Officer or Correctional Officer; Gang-Related
Activity Prohibited
(a) It is unlawful for a peace officer or correctional officer to knowingly commit any act in furtherance of gang-related activities, except when acting in furtherance of an undercover law enforcement investigation.
(b) In this Section, "gang-related" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act.
(c) Sentence. A violation of this Section is a Class 3 felony.
(Source: P.A. 90-131, eff. 1-1-98.)
Sec. 2605-580. Pilot program; Internet Gang Crime Units. (a) The Department of State Police shall establish a pilot program from moneys available under which Internet Gang Crime Units shall be created in the Cook County Sheriff's Office, the City of Danville Police Department, and the Village of Round Lake Heights Police Department. Under the pilot program for the operation of Internet Gang Crime Units, 40% shall be allocated to the Cook County Sheriff's Office, 30% shall be allocated to the City of Danville Police Department, and 30% shall be allocated to the Village of Round Lake Heights Police Department.
(b) Under the pilot program, the Internet Gang Crime Units shall investigate criminal activities of organized gangs that involve the use of the Internet. For the duration of the pilot program and in accordance with protocols for inter-jurisdictional cooperation established by the Department of State Police, peace officers in each Internet Gang Crime Unit shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law, have extra-jurisdictional authority to conduct investigations and make arrests anywhere in the State of Illinois regarding criminal activities of organized gangs that involve the use of the Internet.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if any criminal statute of this State authorizes the distribution of all or a portion of the proceeds realized from property seized or forfeited under that statute to participating law enforcement agencies or the delivery of property forfeited and seized under that statute to participating law enforcement agencies, a law enforcement agency in which an Internet Gang Crime Unit has been created is eligible to receive such a distribution or delivery if that law enforcement agency participated through its Internet Gang Crime Unit, regardless of the jurisdiction in which the seizure or forfeiture occurs.
(d) The Cook County Sheriff's Office, the City of Danville Police Department, and the Village of Round Lake Heights Police Department shall report to the Department of State Police on a quarterly basis on the activities of their Internet Gang Crime Units in accordance with reporting guidelines established by the Department of State Police. The Department of State Police shall file a consolidated report on a quarterly basis with the General Assembly and the Governor. The Department's consolidated report may also contain any evaluations or recommendations that the Department deems appropriate.
(e) The pilot program shall terminate on July 1, 2010.
(f) As used in this Section, "organized gang" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10 of the Illinois Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act [740 ILCS 147/10].
(Top)(a) The gang crime witness protection program is established.
(b) The gang crime witness protection program shall be developed and maintained to assist witnesses of gang crimes with:
(1) Temporary living costs;
(2) Moving expenses;
(3) Rent;
(4) Security deposits; and
(5) Other appropriate expenses of relocation or transitional housing.
(c) The institute shall develop and maintain procedures to award funds for the purposes described in subsection (b) to an individual who witnesses a gang crime.
(a) The gang crime witness protection fund is established. The institute shall administer the fund.
(b) The fund consists of:
(1) Money identified and obtained by the institute under subsection (d);
(2) Appropriations made to the fund by the general assembly; and
(3) Grants, gifts, and donations to the fund.
(c) The institute shall use money in the fund for costs described in section 21(b) [IC 5-2-6-21(b)] of this chapter.
(d) The institute shall identify and obtain grants and other funds that can be used to fund the gang crime witness protection program under section 21 [IC 5-2-6-21] of this chapter.
(e) Money in the gang crime witness protection fund at the end of a state fiscal year does not revert to the state general fund.
Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "psychologically affected property"
includes real estate or a dwelling that is for sale, rent, or lease and to which
one (1) or more of the following facts or a reasonable suspicion of facts apply:
(3) That the property was the site of:
(B) criminal gang (as defined in IC 35-45-9-1) activity;
In addition to any sentence or fine imposed on a criminal gang member for committing a felony or misdemeanor, the court shall order a criminal gang member convicted of a felony or misdemeanor to make restitution to the victim of the crime under IC 35-50-5-3.
(Top)The director of the [police] academy, subject to the approval of the council, shall promulgate rules in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and chapter 17A, giving due consideration to varying factors and special requirements of law enforcement agencies relative to the following:
4. Within the existing curriculum, expanded training regarding racial and cultural awareness and dealing with gang-affected youth.
(Top)Louisiana 15: 1401 Citation
This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Louisiana Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act."
A. The legislature hereby finds and declares that it is the right of every person, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age or handicap, to be secure and protected from fear, intimidation, and physical harm caused by the activities of violent groups and individuals. It is not the intent of this Chapter to interfere with the constitutional exercise of the protected rights of freedom of expression and association. The legislature hereby recognizes the right of every citizen to harbor and constitutionally express beliefs on any lawful subject whatsoever, to associate lawfully with others who share similar beliefs, to petition lawfully constituted authority for a redress of perceived grievances, and to participate in the electoral process.
B. The legislature further finds that the state of Louisiana is in a state of crisis, which has been caused by violent street gangs whose members threaten, terrorize, and commit a multitude of crimes against the peaceful citizens of their neighborhoods. These activities, both individually and collectively present a clear and present danger to public order and safety and are not constitutionally protected. The legislature finds that there are many criminal street gangs and gang members operating in Louisiana. and that the number of gang-related crimes is increasing. It is the intent of the legislature in enacting this Chapter to seek the eradication of criminal activity by street gangs by focusing upon patterns of criminal gang activity and upon the organized nature of street gangs, which together are the chief source of terror created by street gangs. The legislature also finds that an effective means of punishing and deterring the criminal activities of street gangs is through the elimination of the availability to criminal street gangs of premises, often referred to as crack houses, which are used almost exclusively for the commission of a pattern of criminal gang activity to the detriment of the law-abiding citizens of our state.
A. A civil cause of action is hereby created in favor of the state of Louisiana, a parish, or municipality or other political subdivision, or an agency of any of them, sustaining any damage, impairment, or harm whatsoever, proximately caused by the commission of a pattern of criminal gang activity as defined in this Chapter. The cause of action created by this Section shall lie against any criminal street gang, as defined in this Chapter, and any person who intentionally directs, participates, conducts, furthers, or assists in the commission of a pattern of criminal gang activity.
B. Any action for injunction, damages, or other relief filed pursuant to this Section shall proceed according to the provisions of the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, except as otherwise specifically provided in this Section.
C. For purposes of venue, an action under this Section shall be considered as an action for the recovery of damages for an offense or quasi offense, and Code of Civil Procedure Article 74 is applicable. For purposes of service of process, service of process upon any member of a criminal street gang or any person representing him by appointment of court, operation of law, or mandate, shall constitute adequate service upon a criminal street gang.
When a person is released from the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and that person was in the custody of the department for conviction of a violation of the provisions of this Chapter, or the department knows that the person is or was a member of a criminal street gang, the department shall transmit notice of the release of that person to the sheriff of the parish in which the crime was committed and the sheriff of the parish in which that person will reside upon release. If the crime was committed in a municipality, or if that person will reside in a municipality upon release, that department shall transmit the same notice to the chiefs of police of those municipalities.
Nothing in this Chapter shall prevent the governing authority of a local governmental subdivision from adopting and enforcing ordinances consistent with this Chapter relating to gangs and gang violence. When local ordinances duplicate or supplement this Chapter, this Chapter shall be construed as providing alternative remedies and not as preempting the field.
(Top)(3) If the state imposes a wagering tax under Subsection (1) equal to 18% of adjusted gross receipts, money in the state casino gaming fund that is not from a tax imposed under Subsections (5) to (8) shall be allocated as follows:
(a) 55% to the city in which a casino is located for use in connection with the following:
(i) The hiring, training, and deployment of street patrol officers.
(ii) Neighborhood and downtown economic development programs designed to create local jobs.
(iii) Public safety programs, such as emergency medical services, fire department programs, and street lighting.
(iv) Antigang and youth development programs.
(v) Other programs that are designed to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life in the city.
(vi) Relief to the taxpayers of the city from one or more taxes or fees imposed by the city.
(vii) The costs of capital improvements.
(viii) Road repairs and improvements.
(Top)(1) There is hereby created the Corrections Investigative Taskforce which shall consist of the following members: the Attorney General; State Auditor; the Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau of Narcotics, or his designee; the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Public Safety, or his designee; the Chairman of the Senate Corrections Committee and the Chairman of the House Penitentiary Committee.
(2) The taskforce shall:
(a) Conduct or cause to be conducted periodic investigation of the Department of Corrections; (b) Study and make recommendations on correctional policies, including, but not limited to:
(ii) Inmate gang activity;
This chapter shall be known as the "Mississippi Streetgang Act."
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed herein, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
"Street gang" or "gang" or "organized gang" or "criminal street gang" means any combination, confederation, alliance, network, conspiracy, understanding, or other similar conjoining, in law or in fact, of three (3) or more persons with an established hierarchy that, through its membership or through the agency of any member, engages in felonious criminal activity.
For purposes of this chapter, it shall not be necessary to show that a particular conspiracy, combination or conjoining of persons possesses, acknowledges or is known by any common name, insignia, flag, means of recognition, secret signal or code, creed, belief, structure, leadership or command structure, method of operation or criminal enterprise, concentration or specialty, membership, age or other qualifications, initiation rites, geographical or territorial situs or boundary or location, or other unifying mark, manner, protocol or method of expressing or indicating membership when the conspiracy’s existence, in law or in fact, can be demonstrated by a preponderance of the competent evidence. However, any evidence reasonably tending to show or demonstrate, in law or in fact, the existence of or membership in any conspiracy, confederation or other association described herein, or probative of the existence of or membership in any such association, shall be admissible in any action or proceeding brought under this chapter.
"Public authority" means the state and political subdivisions as defined in Section 11-46-1, Mississippi Code of 1972.
"Street gang member" or "gang member" means any person who actually and in fact belongs to a gang, and any person who knowingly acts in the capacity of an agent for or accessory to, or is legally accountable for, or voluntarily associates himself with a gang-related criminal activity, whether in a preparatory, executory or cover-up phase of any activity, or who knowingly performs, aids or abets any such activity.
"Street gang related" or "gang-related" means any criminal activity, enterprise, pursuit or undertaking directed by, ordered by, authorized by, consented to, agreed to, requested by, acquiesced in, or ratified by any gang leader, officer or governing or policymaking person or authority, or by any agent, representative or deputy of any such officer, person or authority:
With intent to increase the gang’s size, membership, prestige, dominance or control in any geographical area; or
With intent to exact revenge or retribution for the gang or any member of the gang; or
With intent to provide the gang with any advantage in, or any control or dominance over, any criminal market sector, including but not limited to the unlawful manufacture, delivery, possession or sale of controlled substances; arson; traffic in stolen property or stolen credit cards; traffic in prostitution, obscenity or pornography; or that involves robbery, armed robbery, burglary or larceny; or
With intent to obstruct justice, or intimidate or eliminate any witness against the gang or any member of the gang; or
With intent to otherwise, directly or indirectly, cause any benefit, aggrandizement, gain, profit or other advantage whatsoever to or for the gang, its reputation, influence or membership.
A civil cause of action is hereby created in favor of any public authority expending money, allocating or reallocating police, firefighting, emergency or other personnel or resources, or otherwise incurring any loss, deprivation or injury, or sustaining any damage, impairment or harm whatsoever, proximately caused by any criminal activity.
The cause of action created by this chapter shall lie against:
Any street gang in whose name, for whose benefit, on whose behalf or under whose direction the act was committed; and
Any gang officer or director who causes, orders, suggests, authorizes, consents to, agrees to, requests, acquiesces in or ratifies any such act; and
Any gang member who, in the furtherance of or in connection with, any gang-related activity, commits any such act; and
Any gang officer, director, leader or member.
The cause of action authorized by this chapter shall be brought by the Attorney General, the district attorney or attorneys, or the county attorney, or by his or their respective designees. This cause of action shall be in addition to any other civil or criminal proceeding authorized by the laws of this state or by federal law, and shall not be construed as requiring the prosecutor to elect a civil, rather than criminal, remedy, or as replacing any other cause of action. Liability of the gang, its officers, directors, leaders and members shall be joint and several subject only to the apportionment and allocation of punitive damage authorized under 97-44-13.
(1) An action may be commenced under this chapter by the filing of a complaint as in civil cases.
(2) A complaint filed under this chapter, and all other ancillary or collateral matters arising therefrom, including matter relating to discovery, motions, trial and the perfection or execution of judgments shall be subject to the Rules of Civil Procedure, except as may be otherwise provided in this chapter, or except as the court may otherwise order upon motion of the prosecutor in matters relating to immunity or the physical safety of witnesses.
(3) The complaint shall name the Attorney General or his designee, if a complainant, each complaining district attorney or his designee, each complaining county attorney, and the public authority represented by him or by them.
(4) The complaint shall also name as defendants the gang, all known gang officers, and any gang members specifically identified or alleged in the complaint as having participated in a gang-related criminal activity. The complaint may also name, as a class of defendants, all unknown gang members.
(5) When, at any point prior to trial, other specific gang officers or members become known, the complaint may be amended to include any such person as a named defendant.
(6) Any individual who suffers any injury under the provisions of this chapter shall have the right to file a civil action in his or her name.
In an action brought under this chapter, venue shall lie in any county where an act charged in the complaint as part of a gang-related criminal activity was committed.
It shall not be necessary for all offenses necessary to establishing a criminal activity to have occurred in any one county where the district attorneys or county attorneys of several counties, or their designees, each complaining of any offense, elected to join in a complaint. In such instance, it shall be sufficient that the complaint, taken as a whole, alleges a gang-related criminal activity, and each count of any such joint complaint shall be considered as cumulative to other counts for purposes of alleging or demonstrating such an activity.
Where an activity is alleged to have been committed or to have occurred in more than one county, the district attorney or county attorney of each such county, or their designees, may join their several causes of action in a single complaint, which may be filed in any such county agreed to by or among them, but no such joinder shall be had without the consent of the district attorney or county attorney having jurisdiction over each offense alleged as part of the activity.
All street gangs and street gang members engaged in a gang-related criminal activity within this state impliedly consent to service of process upon them as set forth in this section, or as may be otherwise authorized by the Rules of Civil Procedure.
Service of process upon a street gang may be had by leaving a copy of the complaint and summons directed to any officer of such gang, commanding the gang to appear and answer the complaint or otherwise plead at a time and place certain:
With any gang officer; or
With any individual member of the gang simultaneously named therein; or
In the manner provided for service by publication in a civil action; or
With any parent, legal guardian or legal custodian of any persons charged with a gang-related offense when any person sued civilly under this chapter is under seventeen (17) years of age and is also charged criminally or as a delinquent minor; or
With the director of any agency or department of this state who is the legal guardian, guardianship administrator or custodian of any person sued under this chapter; or
With the probation or parole officer of any person sued under this chapter; or
With such other person or agent as the court may, upon petition of the district attorney or his designee or the county attorney, authorize as appropriate and reasonable under all of the circumstances.
If after being summoned a street gang does not appear, the court shall enter an answer for the street gang neither affirming nor denying the allegations of the complaint but demanding strict proof thereof, and proceed to trial and judgment without further process.
When any person is named as a defendant street gang member in any complaint, or subsequently becomes known and is added or joined as a named defendant, service of process may be had as authorized or provided for in the Rules of Civil Procedure for service of process in a civil case.
In any action brought under this chapter, and upon the verified application of the district attorney or his designee or the county attorney, the circuit court may at any time enter such restraining orders, injunctions or other prohibitions, or order such other relief as it deems proper, including but not limited to ordering any person to divest himself of any involvement or interest, direct or indirect, in any illegal street gang activity and imposing other reasonable restrictions on the future illegal activities of any defendant.
A final judgment in favor of a public authority under this chapter shall entitle it to recover compensatory damages for all damages, losses, impairments or other harm proximately caused, together with the costs of the suit and reasonable attorney’s fees. Punitive damages may be assessed against any street gang, against any street gang officer or member found guilty of actual participation in, or to be legally accountable for, a criminal activity under this chapter. One hundred percent (100%) of punitive damages awarded will be expended by the public authority to implement preventative programs for juveniles or to fund existing programs.
(1) Any person who intentionally directs, participates, conducts, furthers, or assists in the commission of illegal gang activity shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one (1) year nor more than one-half (1/2) of the maximum term of imprisonment provided for an underlying offense and may be fined an amount not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00). Any sentence of imprisonment imposed pursuant to this section shall be in addition and consecutive to any sentence imposed for the underlying offense.
(2) Any person who is convicted of a felony or an attempted felony which is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang, with the intent to promote, further, or assist in the affairs of a criminal gang, shall, upon conviction of that felony, in addition and consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony or attempted felony of which he or she has been convicted, be imprisoned for not less than one (1) year nor more than one-half (1/2) of the maximum term of imprisonment provided for that offense.
(3) Any person who is convicted of an offense other than a felony which is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, any criminal street gang, with the specific intent to promote, further or assist in any criminal conduct or enterprise by gang members, shall, in addition and consecutive to the penalty provided for that offense, be imprisoned for an additional period of not more than one (1) year.
(4) Any person who knowingly and willfully sells or buys goods or performs services for a criminal street gang in furtherance of illegal activity shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one (1) year nor more than one-half (1/2) of the maximum term of imprisonment provided for the underlying offense and may be fined an amount not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00).
(5) The court may elect to suspend all or a part of any additional mandatory punishment or enhanced punishment provided for in this chapter to impose alternative punishment in the form of properly supervised community service or placement in an appropriate adolescent offender program, if available, only in an unusual case where the interest of justice would best be served, and if the court specifies on the record and enters into the minutes the circumstances and reasons that the interests of justice would best be served by that suspension of enhanced punishment.
(Top)Missouri 565.032. 1. In all cases of murder in the first degree for which the death penalty is authorized, the judge in a jury-waived trial shall consider, or he shall include in his instructions to the jury for it to consider:
(17) The murder was committed during the commission of a crime which is part of a pattern of criminal street gang activity as defined in section 578.421.
2. Nothing in sections 578.421 to 578.437 shall prevent a local governing body from adopting and enforcing laws consistent with sections 578.421 to 578.437 relating to gangs and gang violence. Where those local laws duplicate or supplement the provisions of sections 578.421 to 578.437, sections 578.421 to 578.437 shall be construed as providing alternative remedies and not as preempting the field.
Missouri 589.310. 1. Subject to availability of funds within the Missouri crime prevention information and programming fund, the director, or his designee, may contract with local law enforcement or prevention-related organizations to assist in establishing or enhancing local crime prevention programs. Such programs would include, but not be limited to:
(6) Gang-related activity prevention;
(Top)This part does not prevent a local government from adopting and enforcing ordinances or resolutions consistent with this part relating to criminal street gangs and criminal street gang violence.
(Top)a. In addition to any other disposition authorized by this title, including but not limited to any fines which may be imposed pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.2C:43-3 and except as may be provided by section 5 of this chapter, where a person has been convicted of a crime defined in chapter 35 or 36 of this Title or any crime involving criminal street gang related activity as defined in subsection h. of N.J.S.2C:44-3 or an attempt or conspiracy to commit such a crime, the court shall, upon the application of the prosecutor, sentence the person to pay a monetary penalty in an amount determined pursuant to section 4 of this chapter, provided the court finds at a hearing, which may occur at the time of sentencing, that the prosecutor has established by a preponderance of the evidence one or more of the grounds specified in this section. The findings of the court shall be incorporated in the record, and in making its findings, the court shall take judicial notice of any evidence, testimony or information adduced at the trial, plea hearing or other court proceedings and shall also consider the presentence report and any other relevant information.
b. Any of the following shall constitute grounds for imposing an Anti-Drug Profiteering Penalty:
(5) The defendant was involved in criminal street gang related activity.
(Top)A person is guilty of gang assault in the second degree when, with intent to cause physical injury to another person and when aided by two or more other persons actually present, he causes serious physical injury to such person or to a third person. Gang assault in the second degree is a class C felony.
A person is guilty of gang assault in the first degree when, with intent to cause serious physical injury to another person and when aided by two or more other persons actually present, he causes serious physical injury to such person or to a third person. Gang assault in the first degree is a class B felony.
(Top)This Article shall be known and may be cited as the "North Carolina Street Gang Suppression Act."
Nothing in this Article shall prevent a local governing body from adopting and enforcing ordinances relating to gangs and gang violence that are consistent with this Article. Where local laws duplicate or supplement the provisions of this Article, this Article shall be construed as providing alternative remedies and not as preempting the field.
It is the intent of the General Assembly to prevent juveniles who are at risk from becoming delinquent. The primary intent of this Part is to develop community-based alternatives to youth development centers and to provide community-based delinquency, substance abuse, and prevention strategies and programs. Additionally, it is the intent of the General Assembly to provide noninstitutional dispositional alternatives that will protect the community and the juveniles.
These programs and services shall be planned and organized at the community level and developed in partnership with the State. These planning efforts shall include appropriate representation from local government, local public and private agencies serving juveniles and their families, local business leaders, citizens with an interest in youth problems, youth representatives, and others as may be appropriate in a particular community. The planning bodies at the local level shall be the Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils.
(Top)Nothing in this chapter may be construed as preventing a local governing body from adopting and enforcing ordinances relating to gangs and gang-related violence.
(Top)A. Sections 7302-7.1 through 7302-7.5 of this title shall be known and may be cited as the "Delinquency and Youth Gang Intervention and Deterrence Act".
B. The Legislature recognizes that the economic cost of crime to the state and communities continues to drain existing resources, and the cost to victims, both economic and psychological, is traumatic and tragic. The Legislature further recognizes that many adults in the criminal justice system were once delinquents in the juvenile justice system. The Legislature also recognizes that the most effective juvenile delinquency programs are programs that not only prevent children from entering the juvenile justice system, but also meet local community needs and have substantial community involvement and support. Therefore, it is the belief of the Legislature that one of the best investments of scarce resources available to combat crime is to counteract the negative social and economic factors that contribute to criminal and delinquent behavior by engaging youth, at an early age, in positive programs and opportunities at the local, neighborhood, and community level.
C. For the purpose of reducing the likelihood of later involvement in criminal or delinquent activities, the intent of the Legislature in enacting the Delinquency and Youth Gang Intervention and Deterrence Act is to provide for school, school-related, and after-school programs for children in grades 1 through 12, and their families, who live in at-risk school districts, neighborhoods, and communities and to aid all communities in developing delinquency prevention and early intervention programs and activities.
(Top)(a) There is established in the Rhode Island justice commission the gang violence prevention advisory committee. The committee exists as a permanent subcommittee of the Rhode Island justice commission, juvenile justice advisory committee. The committee shall be composed of members of the Rhode Island justice commission, juvenile justice advisory committee, which currently exists within the Rhode Island justice commission and is charged by the governor and the office of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention to address issues relating to delinquency and youth violence within the state. Membership qualifications are described in subparagraphs (i)–(iii) of Section 223(A)(3) of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 [42 U.S.C. Section 5633(a)(A)(i)–(iii)] as amended. The function and structure of this committee along with its historic activities in gang intervention/prevention will enable it to carry out the intent of this section.
(b) The gang violence prevention advisory committee shall coordinate, review, purpose, and oversee gang prevention, intervention, and suppression programs on a state level. The committee shall also coordinate with the Rhode Island justice commission in efforts to obtain federal funds, grants, or other appropriations necessary and useful to carry out the purpose of this section.
(Top) (B) The General Assembly finds that there is a critical need to enhance the grand jury system to improve the ability of the state to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute crimes involving criminal gang activity or a pattern of criminal gang activity pursuant to the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 8, Title 16. Crimes involving criminal gang activity or a pattern of criminal gang activity transpire at times in a single county, but often transpire or have significance in more than one county of this state. The General Assembly believes criminal gang activity poses an immediate, serious, and unacceptable threat to the citizens of the state and therefore warrants the state grand jury possessing considerably broader investigative authority.
(G) The General Assembly finds that related criminal activity often arises out of or in connection with crimes involving narcotics, dangerous drugs, or controlled substances, criminal gang activity, obscenity, public corruption, or environmental offenses and that the mechanism for detecting and investigating these related crimes must be improved.
(H) Accordingly, the General Assembly concludes that a state grand jury should be allowed to investigate certain crimes related to narcotics, dangerous drugs, or controlled substances, criminal gang activity, and obscenity and also should be allowed to investigate crimes involving public corruption, election laws, and environmental offenses.
(A) The jurisdiction of a state grand jury impaneled pursuant to the provisions of this article extends throughout the state. The subject matter jurisdiction of a state grand jury in all cases is limited to the following offenses:
(2) a crime involving criminal gang activity or a pattern of criminal gang activity pursuant to the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 8, Title 16.
(A) A civil cause of action is created in favor of the state of South Carolina, a county, municipality, or another political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality of them, that sustains any damage, impairment, or injury proximately caused by a pattern of criminal gang activity as defined in this article, or the commission of a criminal act for the purpose of benefiting, promoting, or furthering the interests of a criminal gang. The cause of action created by this section may be brought against a criminal gang, a criminal gang member, or any other person who intentionally directs, participates, conducts, furthers, or assists in the commission of a pattern of criminal gang activity, or any other person who commits a criminal act or delinquency for the purpose of benefiting, promoting, or furthering the interests of a criminal gang.
(B) Except as provided in this section, an action for injunction, damages, or other relief filed pursuant to this section must proceed according to the common law, statutory provisions relating to civil remedies and procedures, and the rules of civil procedure established for the circuit court.
(C) For purposes of venue, an action under this section for the recovery of damages may be brought in the county where the wrongful conduct occurred, or in the county where the damages were sustained. An action to enjoin the commission of an offense or an unlawful act may be brought in the county where the wrongful conduct occurred or may occur. For purposes of service of process, service of process upon a member of a criminal gang or a person representing a criminal gang member by appointment of court, operation of law, or mandate constitutes adequate service upon a criminal gang.
Nothing in this article prohibits the governing body of a county, a municipality, or another political subdivision of the state from adopting and enforcing ordinances consistent with this article relating to criminal gangs, criminal gang members, and gang violence. When local ordinances duplicate or supplement this article, this article provides alternative remedies.
The State Law Enforcement Division must include the Violent Gang and Terrorist Organization File of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center among those National Crime Information Center data available for direct access by authorized criminal justice agencies. State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies must maintain a record of all persons who are found to be criminal gang members in the Violent Gang and Terrorist Organization File in accordance with the National Crime Information Center entry criteria. All gang-related incidents must be appropriately annotated in the South Carolina Incident-Based Reporting System pursuant to the intent and purpose of this article.
(Top)An allegation that a defendant is a street gang member shall be filed as separate information at the time of, or before, arraignment. The separate information shall state those criteria, as set forth in Subdivision 22-10A-1 (2), which allegedly identify the defendant as a street gang member and shall be signed by the prosecutor.
(Top)(a) In this article, "task force" means the Texas Violent Gang Task Force.
(b) The purpose of the task force is to form a strategic partnership between state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies to better enable law enforcement and correctional agencies to take a proactive stance towards tracking gang activity and the growth and spread of gangs statewide.
(c) The task force shall focus its efforts on:
(1) developing a statewide networking system that will provide timely access to gang information;
(2) establishing communication between different law enforcement agencies, combining independent agency resources, and joining agencies together in a cooperative effort to focus on gang membership, gang activity, and gang migration trends; and
(3) forming a working group of law enforcement and correctional representatives from throughout the state to discuss specific cases and investigations involving gangs and other related gang activities.
(a) The office of the attorney general shall establish an electronic gang resource system to provide criminal justice agencies and juvenile justice agencies with information about criminal street gangs in the state. The system may include the following information with regard to any gang:
(1) gang name;
(2) gang identifiers, such as colors used, tattoos, and clothing preferences;
(3) criminal activities;
(4) migration trends;
(5) recruitment activities; and
(6) a local law enforcement contact.
(b) Upon request by the office of the attorney general, criminal justice agencies and juvenile justice agencies shall make a reasonable attempt to provide gang information to the office of the attorney general for the purpose of maintaining an updated, comprehensive gang resource system.
(c) The office of the attorney general shall cooperate with criminal justice agencies and juvenile justice agencies in collecting and maintaining the accuracy of the information included in the gang resource system.
(d) Information relating to the identity of a specific offender or alleged offender may not be maintained in the gang resource system.
(e) Information in the gang resource system may be used in investigating gang-related crimes but may be included in affidavits or subpoenas or used in connection with any other legal or judicial proceeding only if the information from the system is corroborated by information not provided or maintained in the system.
(f) Access to the gang resource system shall be limited to criminal justice agency personnel and juvenile justice agency personnel.
(g) Information in the gang resource system shall be accessible by:
(1) municipality or county; and
(2) gang name.
(h) The office of the attorney general may coordinate with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to include information in the gang resource system regarding groups which have been identified by the Security Threat Group Management Office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
(a) A tattooist may not tattoo:
(1) except as provided by Subsection (a-1), a person younger than 18 years of
age; or
(2) a person who the tattooist suspects is under the influence of alcohol or
drugs.
(a-1) A tattooist may tattoo a person younger than 18 years of age if:
(1) the tattoo will cover a tattoo that contains:
(A) obscene or offensive language or symbols;
(B) gang-related names, symbols, or markings;
(C) drug-related names, symbols, or pictures; or
(D) other words, symbols, or markings that the person's parent or guardian
considers would be in the best interest of the person to cover; and
(2) the person has obtained consent from the person's parent or guardian to
cover the tattoo.
(b) The consent required by Subsection (a-1) may be satisfied by the
individual's parent or guardian:
(1) being physically present at the tattoo studio at the time the tattooing is
performed;
(2) executing an affidavit stating that the person is the parent or guardian of
the individual on whom the tattooing is to be performed;
(3) presenting evidence of the person's identity to the person who will perform
the tattooing; and
(4) presenting evidence of the person's status as parent or guardian of the
individual who will receive the tattoo.
(c) A person younger than 18 years of age commits an offense if the person
falsely states that the person is 18 years of age or older or presents any
document that indicates that the person is 18 years of age or older to a person
engaged in the operation of a tattoo studio. An offense under this subsection is
a Class B misdemeanor
(1) A person is guilty of criminal conspiracy when, with intent that conduct constituting a crime be performed, he or she agrees with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of such conduct, and any one of them takes a substantial step in pursuance of such agreement.
(2) It shall not be a defense to criminal conspiracy that the person or persons with whom the accused is alleged to have conspired:
(a) Has not been prosecuted or convicted; or
(b) Has been convicted of a different offense; or
(c) Is not amenable to justice; or
(d) Has been acquitted; or
(e) Lacked the capacity to commit an offense; or
(f) Is a law enforcement officer or other government agent who did not intend that a crime be committed.
(3) Criminal conspiracy is a:
(a) Class A felony when an object of the conspiratorial agreement is murder in the first degree;
(b) Class B felony when an object of the conspiratorial agreement is a class A felony other than murder in the first degree;
(c) Class C felony when an object of the conspiratorial agreement is a class B felony;
(d) Gross misdemeanor when an object of the conspiratorial agreement is a class C felony;
(e) Misdemeanor when an object of the conspiratorial agreement is a gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor.
(1) When funded, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs shall establish a grant program to assist local law enforcement agencies in the support of special enforcement emphasis targeting gang crime. Grant applications shall be reviewed and awarded through peer review panels. Grant applicants are encouraged to utilize multijurisdictional efforts.
(2) Each grant applicant shall:
(a) Show a significant gang problem in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions receiving the grant;
(b) Verify that grant awards are sufficient to cover increased investigation, prosecution, and jail costs;
(c) Design an enforcement program that best suits the specific gang problem in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions receiving the grant;
(d) Demonstrate community coordination focusing on prevention, intervention, and suppression; and
(e) Collect data on performance pursuant to section 103 of this act.
(3) The cost of administering the grants shall not exceed sixty thousand dollars, or four percent of appropriated funding, whichever is greater.
(1) When funded, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs shall establish a grant program to assist local law enforcement agencies in the support of graffiti and tagging abatement programs located in local communities. Grant applicants are encouraged to utilize multijurisdictional efforts.
(2) Each graffiti or tagging abatement grant applicant shall:
(a) Demonstrate that a significant gang problem exists in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions receiving the grant;
(b) Show how the funds will be used to dispose or eliminate any current or ongoing tagging or graffiti within a specified time period;
(c) Specify how the funds will be used to reduce gang-related graffiti or tagging within its community;
(d) Show how the local citizens and business owners of the community will benefit from the proposed graffiti or tagging abatement process being presented in the grant application; and
(e) Collect data on performance pursuant to section 103 of this act.
(3) The cost of administering the grants shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars, or four percent of funding, whichever is greater.
The legislature finds and declares that:
(1) The number of youth who are members and associates of gangs and commit gang violence has significantly increased throughout the entire greater Puget Sound, Spokane, and other areas of the state;
(2) Youth gang violence has caused a tremendous strain on the progress of the communities impacted. The loss of life, property, and positive opportunity for growth caused by youth gang violence has reached intolerable levels. Increased youth gang activity has seriously strained the budgets of many local jurisdictions, as well as threatened the ability of the educational system to educate our youth;
(3) Among youth gang members, the high school drop-out rate is significantly higher than among nongang members. Since the economic future of our state depends on a highly educated and skilled work force, this high school drop-out rate threatens the economic welfare of our future work force, as well as the future economic growth of our state;
(4) The unemployment rate among youth gang members is higher than that among the general youth population. The unusual unemployment rate, lack of education and skills, and increased criminal activity could significantly impact our future prison population;
(5) Most youth gangs are subcultural. This implies that gangs provide the nurturing, discipline, and guidance to gang youth and potential gang youth that is generally provided by communities and other social systems. The subcultural designation means that youth gang participation and violence can be effectively reduced in Washington communities and schools through the involvement of community, educational, criminal justice, and employment systems working in a unified manner with parents and individuals who have a firsthand knowledge of youth gangs and at-risk youth; and
(6) A strong unified effort among parents and community, educational, criminal justice, and employment systems would facilitate:
(a) The learning process;
(b) the control and reduction of gang violence;
(c) the prevention of youth joining negative gangs; and
(d) the intervention into youth gangs. [1993c 497 Section 1.]
(Top)(1) DEFINITIONS.
In this section:
(a) "Criminal gang" has the meaning given in s. 939.22 (9).
(b) "Criminal gang activity" has the meaning given in s. 941.38 (1) (b).
(c) "Political subdivision" means a city, village, town, or county.
(2) CIVIL CAUSE OF ACTION.
(a) The state, a school district, or a political subdivision may bring an action in circuit court for any expenditure of money for the allocation or reallocation of law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency, or other personnel or resources if the expenditure of money by the state, a school district, or a political subdivision is the result of criminal gang activity.
(b) Any person who suffers physical injury or incurs property damage or loss resulting from any criminal gang activity has a cause of action for the actual damages sustained. The burden of proof in a civil action under this paragraph rests with the person who suffers the physical injury or property damage or loss to prove his or her case by a preponderance of the credible evidence.
(c) The action may be brought against the criminal gang or against any member, leader, officer, or organizer of a criminal gang who participates in a criminal gang activity or who authorizes, causes, orders, ratifies, requests, or suggests a criminal gang activity. An action brought under this subsection shall also name as defendants the criminal gang and any criminal gang members who participated in the criminal gang activity. An action brought under this subsection may name, as a class of defendants, all unknown criminal gang members.
(d) The plaintiff may bring a civil action under this subsection regardless of whether there has been a criminal action related to the injury, property damage, or loss or expenditure of money under par. (a) or (b) and regardless of the outcome of that criminal action.
(3) SERVICE OF PROCESS.
A summons may be served individually upon any member, leader, officer, or organizer of a criminal gang by service as provided under s. 801.11 (1), (2), (5) or (6) where the claim sued upon arises out of or relates to criminal gang activity within this state sufficient to subject a defendant to personal jurisdiction under s. 801.05 (2) to (10). A judgment rendered after service under this subsection is a binding adjudication against the criminal gang.
(4) INJUNCTIVE RELIEF, DAMAGES, COSTS, AND FEES.
(a) The court, upon the request of the state, a school district, or a political subdivision, may grant an injunction restraining an individual from committing an act that would injure the state, a school district, or a political subdivision or may order such other relief as the court determines is proper.
(b) The court may order a criminal gang member to divest himself or herself of any interest or involvement in any criminal gang activity and may restrict a criminal gang member from engaging in any future criminal gang activity.
(c) In addition to the costs allowed under s. 814.04, a final judgment in an action under sub. (2) (a) in favor of the plaintiff shall include compensatory damages for the expenditure of money for the allocation or reallocation of law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency, or other personnel or resources caused by the criminal gang activity and compensation for the costs of the investigation and prosecution and reasonable attorney fees.
(d) In addition to the costs allowed under s. 814.04, a final judgment in an action under sub. (2) (b) in favor of the plaintiff shall include attorney fees and the costs of the investigation and litigation.
(e) The final judgment in favor of the plaintiff in an action under sub. (2) (a) or (b) may include punitive damages assessed against a criminal gang leader, officer, organizer, or member who is found to have participated in criminal gang activity.