Gangs in Court Second Edition

In this volume meant for prosecutors and defense attorneys, Lewis Yablonsky, a psychotherapist and retired professor of criminology and sociology at California State U.-Northridge, describes the judicial processing of gangs in courts. He presents theories about criminal gang structure and behavior and how they connect to the criminal justice process. In addition, a brief history of American gangs in the criminal justice system, racial issues, and the death penalty are discussed. This edition has been updated based on his experience as an expert witness in many court cases since the first was published, many of which are summarized here. A chapter on the perspective of the prosecutor has also been added; it is a reprinted article written by the Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney.

Lewis Yablonskys book, Gangs in Court, is a must read for anyone who may someday become part of a gang-related court proceeding. The book provides academics, trial lawyers, and law enforcement personnel with well-grounded preparation for, and knowledge about, expert witness testimony relative to gang-related cases. The author successfully conveys his knowledge in an easily readable text. The appendices provide valuable information gleaned from his experience " as a consultant and expert witness in over 150 gang-related court cases" as well as statutory law. Chapter one presents readers with an introduction to the extent of the social problem of gangs as experienced by the author and defines the concepts and theories used by the author as well as his purpose and goals for the book. Chapter two sets out a concise history of American gangs in the criminal justice system. Chapter three discusses general characteristics of contemporary street gangs as experienced by the author. Chapter 4 discusses gang racial issues as experienced by the author. Chapter five summarizes the earlier chapters and adds a list of eight criteria to determine a gang members identity. Readers may find this information useful, as several U.S. states statutory gang member identification criteria have been challenged in upper courts for not being research based. The author also discusses the concept of "imperfect self-defense" or "victim-precipitated violence". Chapter six presents several death penalty cases involving gang members. In conclusion, this book by Lewis Yablonsky, Gangs in Court, is not one of those sterile academic texts that are often written in the most objective manner possible, lacking the subjective voice of their authors and research subjects. The authors opinion and professional conclusions are found through out the work. The work is also replete with stories and excerpts from interactions with gang members. Yablonsky presents an excellent discussion of the social and psychological variables that mitigate responsibility and accountabilitywhen it comes to criminal behavior. The book is a must read for those who may find themselves in a gang-related criminal proceeding since it provides them with examples of gang related expert witness testimony that they may here in court.

Yablonsky, a lawyer and psychotherapist who has studied and worked with gangs for 50 years, explains that he wrote this book with the hope that sharing his experiences would contribute to a more humane and effective adjudication process for gang members. He presents relevant social-psychological theories about criminal gang structures, including his own "near-group theory." He also includes reports and analyses of cases on which he worked to demonstrate the way harsh sentencing turns marginal gang members into hardened gangsters.