NCJ Number
147209
Journal
California Lawyer Volume: 8 Dated: (January-February 1988) Pages: 20-21
Date Published
1988
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The Los Angeles city attorney launched a sweeping nuisance abatement action against the Playboy Gangster Crips, a move hailed as one of the cleverest weapons ever used against street gangs.
Abstract
According to the lawsuit, the gang, which operates in a lower-middle-class neighborhood, is an unincorporated association whose purpose is drug trafficking. In November 1987, city prosecutors asked for an injunction on 23 types of behavior, including stopping traffic to make drug sales, acting boisterously, and loitering in any one place for more than 5 minutes. The Los Angeles Superior Court judge in the case rejected most of the lawsuit on constitutional grounds, but agreed that several of the activities described could be defined as public nuisances. There are more than 450 gangs in Los Angeles County, with up to 40,000 members.