Five suspects are facing gang charges after being accused of being members of the Bulldogs street gang in Fresno, the Monterey Herald reported.
A Fresno gang defense attorney should always represent juveniles or adults facing gang charges in Fresno or the surrounding area. In some cases, gang enhancement can lead to a longer prison stay if convicted. In other cases, a life sentence is possible. Fresno juvenile defense attorneys must be particularly vigilant in fighting any allegations of gang association. Once such an association is made, it can lead to stiffer penalties for gang crimes in the future and can make it that much more difficult to fight the allegation of gang involvement in the event of future criminal charges.
Gang enhancements are frequently abused by law enforcement and prosecutors and can significantly impact the potential penalty for a crime. The law makes it illegal to be involved with a street gang, a neighborhood gang, a motorcycle gang or other group engaged in criminal activity. However, there are more than 30 different criteria prosecutors can use to allege you are affiliated with a gang. Wearing clothes of a certain color, or being affiliated or photographed with someone who is affiliated with a gang can be enough to get charged with a gang offense.
In this case, the three are charged in Salinas on a 28-page complaint, alleging a multicounty crime spree. They are facing 17 felony counts, including vehicle theft, robbery, resisting arrest and attempted murder of a sheriff's deputy. Authorities allege they stole a Lincoln Navigator on Sunday in Fresno and drove to Pacific Cove, where they are charged with fleeing from a traffic stop. Two instances involved gunfire over the next several hours as they made their way down the coast.
San Luis Obispo deputies opened fire on the vehicle, flattening the tires and wounding the driver. The defendants range in age from 21 to 32 and are being held on bail as high as $1.6 million. Several of the defendants face the possibility of life sentences if convicted of the attempted murder of a man sleeping in his car in Big Sur.
All of the defendants have been charged with gang enhancements.
If you are facing gang charges or juvenile charges in Fresno, contact the Law Offices of Michael E. Mitchell for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 559-222-2424. SE HABLA ESPANOL.
