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Protesters: San Jose Gang Prosecutions Target Latinos

By TChris, Section Legislation
Posted on Sun Oct 22, 2006 at 07:05:43 PM EST
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For driving the getaway car in a home burglary, Joshua Herrera was given a life sentence. Joshua didn't enter the home, but the punishment was harsh because Joshua, the prosecution said, was a gang member.

Joshua's mother, Rebecca Rivera, organized a protest march in San Jose yesterday. She joined with other Latinos who think the district attorney's office targets Latinos by seeking sentencing enhancements for gang membership.

Rivera questions why her son should have received such a tough sentence, considering he was going to college and had what she calls a clean record. And no one was killed in the 2003 event.

[The protesters] point to one case in which several Asian-American defendants and suspected gang members received relatively light sentences for their participation in a homicide of a Latino, because the district attorney's office decided not to add gang enhancements.
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    Protesters: San Jose Gang Prosecutions Target Latinos | 3 comments (3 topical)
    Re: Protesters: (none / 0) (#1)
    by Patrick on Mon Oct 23, 2006 at 01:59:29 AM EST
    Why am I not surprised t-chris is on this guys side....

    Re: Protesters (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Mon Oct 23, 2006 at 09:50:50 AM EST
    I hang out with the same group of people every Friday night...are we a gang?

    Prosecute him for driving the getaway car...not for his choice of friends or who he hangs out with.  In America you can hang out with whoever you want without being punished...or so I thought.

    Re: Protesters: San Jose Gang Prosecutions (none / 0) (#3)
    by cpinva on Mon Oct 23, 2006 at 10:37:31 AM EST
    why do i feel that there's a "rest of the story" to this?

    TC, could you provide some "facts & circumstances" about this case, or provide a link with details?

    Protesters: San Jose Gang Prosecutions Target Latinos | 3 comments (3 topical)