Gang Injunctions

1

First California, Then Utah, Should Idaho Follow Suit?
Effectiveness and Constitutionality of Gang Injunctions
Ryan Jacobsen*
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
GENERAL STANDARD FOR ISSUING AN INJUNCTION .................................... 3
WHAT IS A CIVIL GANG INJUNCTION? ............................................................... 4
HISTORY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF GANG INJUNCTIONS .............................. 6
A. Brief History ........................................................................................................... 6
B. Effectiveness ........................................................................................................... 9
THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD ..................................................................... 11
SCOPE OF “SAFETY ZONE” REQUIRED TO PASS
EQUITABLE AND CONSTITUTIONAL MUSTER................................................ 14
CHARACTERISTICS OF IDAHO GANGS ............................................................. 16
POSSIBLE MORE EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES ................................................ 18
CONCLUSIONS......................................................................................................... 21
A. How Future Gang Injunctions Should Look .......................................................... 21
B. Gang Injunctions’ Effectiveness in Idaho .............................................................. 21
I. INTRODUCTION

Since 1997, when the Supreme Court of California upheld the first permanent civil gang injunction that made its way before the court,1 the use of gang injunctions as a tool to abate criminal gang activity has rapidly increased in California, with over 150 injunctions in effect throughout the state,2 and is just now beginning to take root in other states.3 One