Soliciting Membership in a Criminal Street Gang

From the Law Office of Alison Grinter in Dallas, Texas

1 Degree
2 Statute(s)
3 Caselaw
4 Collateral Consequences
5 Notes

Degree

Soliciting Membership in a Criminal Street Gang is a Third Degree Felony for the first offense, and a Second Degree Felony for the second and subsequent offenses.

Statute(s)

Sec. 71.022. COERCING, INDUCING, OR SOLICITING MEMBERSHIP IN A CRIMINAL STREET GANG. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly causes, enables, encourages, recruits, or solicits another person to become a member of a criminal street gang which, as a condition of initiation, admission, membership, or continued membership, requires the commission of any conduct which constitutes an offense punishable as a Class A misdemeanor or a felony.
(a-1) A person commits an offense if, with intent to coerce, induce, or solicit a child to actively participate in the activities of a criminal street gang, the person:
(1) threatens the child or a member of the child's family with imminent bodily injury; or
(2) causes bodily injury to the child or a member of the child's family.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense under this section is a felony of the third degree.
(c) A second or subsequent offense under this section is a felony of the second degree.
(d) In this section:
(1) "Child" means an individual younger than 17 years of age.
(2) "Family" has the meaning assigned by Section 71.003, Family Code.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1555, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by:
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 435, Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 435, Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.

Sec. 71.023. DIRECTING ACTIVITIES OF CERTAIN CRIMINAL STREET GANGS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly initiates, organizes, plans, finances, directs, manages, or supervises a criminal street gang or members of a criminal street gang with the intent to benefit, promote, or further the interests of the criminal street gang or to increase the person's standing, position, or status in the criminal street gang.
(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the first degree.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 71.01, in this section, "criminal street gang" means:
(1) an organization that:
(A) has more than 10 members whose names are included in an intelligence database under Chapter 61, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(B) has a hierarchical structure that has been documented in an intelligence database under Chapter 61, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(C) engages in profit-sharing among two or more members of the organization; and
(D) in one or more regions of this state served by different regional councils of government, continuously or regularly engages in conduct:
(i) that constitutes an offense listed in Section 3g(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(ii) in which it is alleged that a deadly weapon is used or exhibited during the commission of or immediate flight from the commission of any felony offense; or
(iii) that is punishable as a felony of the first or second degree under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code; or
(2) an organization that, in collaboration with an organization described by Subdivision (1), engages in conduct or commits an offense or conspires to engage in conduct or commit an offense described by Subdivision (1)(D).
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1130, Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009.

Sec. 71.028. GANG-FREE ZONES. (a) In this section:
(1) "Institution of higher education," "playground," "premises," "school," "video arcade facility," and "youth center" have the meanings assigned by Section 481.134, Health and Safety Code.
(2) "Shopping mall" means an enclosed public walkway or hall area that connects retail, service, or professional establishments.
(b) This section applies to an offense listed in Section 71.02(a)(1), (4), or (7), other than burglary, theft, burglary of a motor vehicle, or unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the punishment prescribed for an offense described by Subsection (b) is increased to the punishment prescribed for the next highest category of offense if the actor is 17 years of age or older and it is shown beyond a reasonable doubt on the trial of the offense that the actor committed the offense at a location that was:
(1) in, on, or within 1,000 feet of any:
(A) real property that is owned, rented, or leased by a school or school board;
(B) premises owned, rented, or leased by an institution of higher education;
(C) premises of a public or private youth center; or
(D) playground;
(2) in, on, or within 300 feet of any:
(A) shopping mall;
(B) movie theater;
(C) premises of a public swimming pool; or
(D) premises of a video arcade facility; or
(3) on a school bus.
(d) The punishment for an offense described by Subsection (b) may not be increased under this section if the offense is punishable under Section 71.02 as a felony of the first degree.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1130, Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009.

Sec. 71.029. MAPS AS EVIDENCE OF LOCATION OR AREA. (a) In a prosecution of an offense for which punishment is increased under Section 71.028, a map produced or reproduced by a municipal or county engineer for the purpose of showing the location and boundaries of gang-free zones is admissible in evidence and is prima facie evidence of the location or boundaries of those zones if the governing body of the municipality or county adopts a resolution or ordinance approving the map as an official finding and record of the location or boundaries of those zones.
(b) A municipal or county engineer may, on request of the governing body of the municipality or county, revise a map that has been approved by the governing body of the municipality or county as provided by Subsection (a).
(c) A municipal or county engineer shall file the original or a copy of every approved or revised map approved as provided by Subsection (a) with the county clerk of each county in which the zone is located.
(d) This section does not prevent the prosecution from:
(1) introducing or relying on any other evidence or testimony to establish any element of an offense for which punishment is increased under Section 71.028; or
(2) using or introducing any other map or diagram otherwise admissible under the Texas Rules of Evidence.
Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1130, Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2009.

Sec. 71.03. DEFENSES EXCLUDED. It is no defense to prosecution under Section 71.02 that:
(1) one or more members of the combination are not criminally responsible for the object offense;
(2) one or more members of the combination have been acquitted, have not been prosecuted or convicted, have been convicted of a different offense, or are immune from prosecution;
(3) a person has been charged with, acquitted, or convicted of any offense listed in Subsection (a) of Section 71.02; or
(4) once the initial combination of three or more persons is formed there is a change in the number or identity of persons in the combination as long as two or more persons remain in the combination and are involved in a continuing course of conduct constituting an offense under this chapter.
Added by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 922, ch. 346, Sec. 1, eff. June 10, 1977. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994.

Sec. 71.04. TESTIMONIAL IMMUNITY. (a) A party to an offense under this chapter may be required to furnish evidence or testify about the offense.
(b) No evidence or testimony required to be furnished under the provisions of this section nor any information directly or indirectly derived from such evidence or testimony may be used against the witness in any criminal case, except a prosecution for aggravated perjury or contempt.
Added by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 922, ch. 346, Sec. 1, eff. June 10, 1977. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994.

Sec. 71.05. RENUNCIATION DEFENSE.

Text of subsection (a) as amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 761, Sec. 3

(a) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Section 71.02 of this code that under circumstances manifesting a voluntary and complete renunciation of his criminal objective the actor withdrew from the combination before commission of an offense listed in Subdivisions (1) through (7) or Subdivision (10) of Subsection (a) of Section 71.02 of this code and took further affirmative action that prevented the commission of the offense.

Text of subsection (a) as amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01

(a) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Section 71.02 that under circumstances manifesting a voluntary and complete renunciation of his criminal objective the actor withdrew from the combination before commission of an offense listed in Subsection (a) of Section 71.02 and took further affirmative action that prevented the commission of the offense.
(b) For the purposes of this section and Subsection (d) of Section 71.02, renunciation is not voluntary if it is motivated in whole or in part:
(1) by circumstances not present or apparent at the inception of the actor's course of conduct that increase the probability of detection or apprehension or that make more difficult the accomplishment of the objective; or
(2) by a decision to postpone the criminal conduct until another time or to transfer the criminal act to another but similar objective or victim.

Text of subsection (c) as amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 761, Sec. 3

(c) Evidence that the defendant withdrew from the combination before commission of an offense listed in Subdivisions (1) through (7) or Subdivision (10) of Subsection (a) of Section 71.02 of this code and made substantial effort to prevent the commission of an offense listed in Subdivisions (1) through (7) or Subdivision (10) of Subsection (a) of Section 71.02 of this code shall be admissible as mitigation at the hearing on punishment if he has been found guilty under Section 71.02 of this code, and in the event of a finding of renunciation under this subsection, the punishment shall be one grade lower than that provided under Section 71.02 of this code.
Added by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 922, ch. 346, Sec. 1, eff. June 10, 1977. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 2374, ch. 587, Sec. 4, 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1981; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 761, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994.