SC Criminal Defense Lawyers in Myrtle Beach, Conway, Columbia, and Charleston If you are charged with a crime and police believe you are a gang member, that is prejudicial information that, in most cases, should be excluded at your trial — when jurors are told that you are a member of a gang, self-preservation and fear instincts kick in and it becomes hard to get a fair trial on the merits of your case. Ready to Speak with an Attorney? Contact Coastal Law to discuss your situation.
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In percentage based cases, fees are calculated prior to deducting costs. The Lords and the Disciples are part of larger gang coalitions known as the People Nation and the Folk Nation, respectively. The influence of both gangs has spread to nearby cities. The brutal truth of gang life is that the only way most gang members leave the gang is in a body bag. Some do manage to move on to a better, peaceful life.
It might be because they reach a level of maturity that allows them to see the dangers of gang life in a different light. If they have family or get a good job and a home, they want to protect those things. There are three major types of street gangs, each defined by factors such as prerequisites for inclusion, location or gang activities:.
Most gang members are exposed to gangs at a young age. The money and respect that older gang members earn impresses them. They may begin hanging around gang members, finding out who is important and learning what the gang does. This can happen as early as age 10 or Gangs intentionally recruit children and use them to carry weapons and drugs or commit other crimes because they tend to attract less attention from police.
If caught they serve shorter sentences in juvenile detention centers than an adult gang member would serve in prison. When a new member joins a gang, he must usually go through an initiation. Initiations don't usually involve elaborate ceremonies or formalities, but the initiate will have to endure certain rites. The most common is "jumping in," a beating issued by all the gang members. Gangs that accept female gang members sometimes rape them as their initiation.
Instead of a "jumping in," or sometimes following it, the new gang member must participate in a mission. This can be anything from stealing a car to engaging in a firefight with a rival gang. Some gangs don't consider anyone a full member until they have shot or killed someone. Getting a tattoo with gang symbols may be another part of the initiation.
Daily gang life is generally not very exciting. Gang members sleep late, sit around the neighborhood, drink and do drugs and possibly go to a meeting place in the evening, such as a pool hall or roller rink. They may work a street corner selling drugs or commit petty crimes like vandalism or theft. The notion of respect drives gang life almost completely, and for many gang members, gaining respect means committing violent crimes. While it is relatively rare compared to their other activities, gangs do assault, shoot and assassinate people for money, turf, pride or revenge.
Gangs are careful to identify themselves to each other and to others in their community. Members may dress similarly or wear the gang's colors. The Vice Lords wear black and gold, while the Crips vs. Blood feud is often called "Blue vs. Gangs considering marking another gang's territory with their symbol, or defacing their symbol, an act of war, and this can easily lead to violent retribution.
Gang signs are elaborate hand signals that indicate gang membership. Gangs also explore other ways of displaying gang loyalty, such as the "C-Walk," a sort of dance-like walking pattern used by members of the Crips gang. Only a few gangs have far-reaching influences and run like a business. These are sometimes called "supergangs. However, age often divides gangs into groups, with senior groups, junior groups and younger initiates. Senior members do not always have leadership over the younger groups, though — it all depends on street status.
Female gangs were once rare and existed mainly as offshoots of other gangs. For example, the girlfriends of gang members form their own group to show loyalty to the original gang. However, female gang membership is rising, with all-female gangs forming and fighting male gangs for turf and respect.
Some gangs accept members regardless of race or gender. There is no easy way to stop gangs, because the underlying conditions that lead to gangs are complex.
Police crackdowns can temporarily lower gang influence in a specific area. However, when poverty and despair remain, gangs will inevitably recruit new gang members to replace those who go to prison [ ref ].
Extra police enforcement in one area can simply drive the gang activity to another nearby area. As the head of a Buffalo community center said in a Buffalo News article, "The problem we have in this part of the community is that when they shut down a drug house, it just moves down the street.
Furthermore, a police crackdown can help unify what was otherwise a loose, non-cohesive gang. Under outside pressure, the gang members turn to each other, take more pride in their gang affiliation and become capable of greater acts of violence.
While police presence is vital in keeping neighborhoods safe, a more successful long-term approach requires multiple tactics that all boil down to one thing: give people something to live for other than a gang. This can include helping at-risk youth or current gang members find decent jobs or obtain an education. Block clubs and community centers bring the non-gang members the majority of people together to clean and maintain their streets, get rid of graffiti and otherwise show pride in where they live.
Community events such as dances, football games and game nights give youth something to do other than hang out on porches with gang members. If held outdoors, they make those areas less attractive for gang activity because of all the non-gang members around. The preferred method of gang suppression today is the Department of Justice's "Weed and Seed" program. This combines police enforcement weeding out the worst gang members with community activism and economic opportunities seeding the neighborhood with the means to overcome negative conditions.
More than 3, Weed and Seed programs are active in the United States. In the words of former Crip gang member Kody Scott who had the gang name Monster , "When gang members stop their wars and find that there is no longer a need for their sets to exist, banging will cease.
But until then, all attempts by law enforcement to seriously curtail its forward motion will be in vain" [ ref ]. For lots more information on gangs, gang members and related topics, check out the links on the next page. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Juvenile Officers are familiar with gang behaviors and repeat offenders, and can tell you if your child is on dangerous path.
A trained mental health professional can help parents evaluate and treat mental health problems that may have contributed to gang involvement. Your support will help us continue to produce and distribute Facts for Families , as well as other vital mental health information, free of charge.
You may also mail in your contribution. Box , Washington, DC The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry AACAP represents over 9, child and adolescent psychiatrists who are physicians with at least five years of additional training beyond medical school in general adult and child and adolescent psychiatry.
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