Results tagged “injunction”

A superior court judge today told Los Angeles city officials in a preliminary injunction that they were the ones breaking the law, not a medical marijuana dispensary that was told it could not operate under a 2007 moratorium--since extended twice--banning new medical marijuana facilities.

A controversial new proposal by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich would give law enforcement the okay to arrest taggers without actually seeing them tag--just the act of "hanging out" together on the street would be enough to haul them in. But those objecting include the ACLU, who call the idea "unquestionably unconstitutional," according to the LA Times. Police, too, aren't sold on the idea, and many other critics wonder if putting more youth into the criminal system--particularly without an actual crime--will do more long-term damage than good, particularly because there aren't enough programs in place to help these kids better their lives.

After years of gang-related activity around Fremont High School in South LA, the state and city filed an injunction last Friday, seeking to restrict four gangs from the area for the majority of the day. “These brutally violent street gangs have indiscriminately terrorized students who simply wanted to travel to and from school,” said Attorney General Brown, who filed the case with LA City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo. “This first-of-its-kind injunction would create a gang-free zone around Fremont High School that shields students from violence, intimidation and drug trafficking.”

City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo warned last month that he would start suing gangs and today he announced his first win, which is actually a first for any local government in California after a 2007 state law allowed prosecutors to go after gang assets. "This is a whole new front that we're waging against these gang members," Delgadillo said per the LA Times. "It's new to them, it's new to us, but it feels like we're winning."

From the Northeast Valley to Northeast Los Angeles, actions against gangs by the city and feds is beefing up. This morning, a federal indictment was initiated and hundreds of gang members from the Drew Estara Click of the Avenues Gang were arrested (If you remember the big shootout in February, these are the guys). Starting at 4 a.m., police and federal officials swept down into Glassell Park and surrounding neighborhoods after a 10-month investigation to serve the warrants for drug trafficking, murder, hate crime and other accusations.

One of the most publicized weapons in the city’s decades-long (and some would say, losing) battle against street gangs has been its gang injunction, which prohibits known gang members from hanging around with other gang members, having alchohol, not following curfews and more, under penalty of arrest. Today’s LA Times covers city attorney Rocky Delgadillo’s announcement that the injunction would receive a much-needed overhaul. Why? Well, in addition to it not working very well,...