SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan has removed hundreds of names from several gang injunction lists, she announced Monday. There were almost 800 people listed in those injunctions prior to a review by the DA’s office.
The action was taken by the DA’s office after they say they worked to confirm individuals’ lack of recent criminal activity.
The injunctions were court orders filed in areas across San Diego several years ago, often in response to spikes in gang-related violence. The injunctions restricted those deemed active and dangerous gang members from congregating with other gang members, fighting and carrying weapons.
DA Summer Stephan says the review was the result of recognizing the dated nature of the injunctions, none of which have been filed in the past eight years. The DA also noted potential complications faced by those who appeared on the lists but who were no longer affiliated with gangs or criminal activity.
“People who are genuinely taking steps to be a lawful, contributing member of our community shouldn’t be punished by a civil court order that might be stopping them from getting a job, connecting with their relatives or moving on with their lives,” DA Stephan said. “We worked closely with our law enforcement partners to identify people who might qualify for removal while at the same time making sure we’re continuing to protect the public from those who still engage in gang-related crimes and activities.”
According to the DA’s office, to qualify for removal from the list, a person:
- cannot have a conviction for a violent felony for the past 10 years.
- must have remained out of custody and had no criminal convictions for the past five years (excluding minor traffic violations).
- have had no activity that demonstrates continued loyalty to, or membership in a criminal street gang for the past five years.
Letters sent by the DA’s office last month informed people their name had been purged from the lists, saying the action is “an effort to pursue justice that fairly reflects your current status as one moving away from the gang life. This should assist you in removing any negative consequences that come from being on an injunction list.”
It also warned that re-engaging in gang activity could result in a person being added back to an injunction.
In total, 332 names were removed from the injunctions. The DA noted 66 individuals were removed because they were sentenced to life in prison, deceased or appeared to have left the jurisdiction entirely.
Anyone wanting to find out if they’ve been removed from an injunction can email SanDiegoDA@sdcda.org. Individuals who believe they qualify and would like to petition for removal can fill out a form on the DA’s website and submit it for review.
Monday's press conference was streamed live on Facebook via the DA’s page and can be viewed below.
Picture from the announcement on Monday: Left to right, Rev. Gerald Brown, Executive Director, City of San Diego Police-Community Relations; Jesus Sandoval, Executive Director, San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention; Dr. Rodney Hood, Commissioner, San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention; Craig Carter, Escondido Police Department Chief, President of the San Diego County Police Chiefs’ and Sheriff’s Association; Summer Stephan, San Diego County District Attorney; Robert Hickey, Deputy District Attorney, Assistant Chief of the DA’s Gangs Division. [Courtesy of the San Diego District Attorney’s Office]