Although Southern California gets most of the attention for gang-related activity, most of our readers probably know that this issue is a problem throughout the entire state. There is no denying that gang-related crime exists on a large scale in California, but it is important that this common knowledge should not turn into a bias on the part of potential jury members in a felony criminal trial.
At our law firm, we have seen the impact of gang-related charges on an individual, and we know that it can take quite a bit of evidence - more than usual - to connect someone to a crime and label it gang-related. However, California law makes this easier in some respects, so it is vital that any individual who is facing charges related to gang activity know the current state of the law when planning their criminal defense strategy.
Why is it so important to know your options when you become the subject of a gang investigation? First and foremost, a conviction with a gang activity enhancement attached could result in a significant increase in the length of any potential sentence that is handed down. Beyond that, alleged gang affiliation will almost certainly lead to increased interest in a person's personal activity by law enforcement officials, regardless of whether or not the allegations ultimately turn out to be false.
Felony cases involving alleged gang-related activity require a soundly crafted defense strategy to attempt to circumvent the bias that a potential jury member might have upon hearing that a defendant is an alleged gang member. For more information about how our law firm approaches these types of cases, please visit our website. This could help outline the situation with you and help you with your defense strategy.