Opinion ID: 2134775
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Criminal gang participation. Under Iowa Code section 723A.2,

Text: [a] person who actively participates in or is a member of a criminal street gang and who willfully aids and abets any criminal act committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang, commits a class D felony. Iowa Code section 723A.1(2) defines a criminal street gang as any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of one or more criminal acts, which has an identifiable name or identifying sign or symbol, and whose members individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity. Iowa Code section 723A.1(3) defines a pattern of criminal gang activity as the commission, attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation of two or more criminal acts, provided the criminal acts were committed on separate dates or by two or more persons who are members of, or belong to, the same criminal street gang. Iowa Code section 723A.1(1) pertinently defines criminal acts as used in Iowa Code chapter 723A as a. An offense constituting a violation of section 204.401 involving a controlled substance, a counterfeit substance, or a simulated controlled substance. .... f. Any other offense constituting a forcible felony as defined in section 702.11. The State relied on the terrorism offense as the criminal act or underlying offense under section 723A.2 (offense of criminal gang participation). To establish a pattern of criminal gang activity under section 723A.1(3), the State relied on the offenses of delivery of a controlled substance and willful injury. See Iowa Code §§ 723A.1(1)(a) (controlled substance) and 723A.1(1)(f) (forcible felony). Lewis reasserts his argument against his conviction for terrorism in his claim that there was not substantial evidence that he was guilty of criminal gang participation. Having disposed of this argument in division IIIA, we consider only Lewis' remaining arguments. First, he contends the State failed to prove that one of the primary purposes of the Vice Lords was to commit criminal acts. Second, he contends the State failed to show a pattern of criminal gang activity by the local Vice Lords gang. 1. Primary activities: the commission of one or more criminal acts. Officer Hawkins testified that one of the features of a criminal street gang is that commission of one or more criminal acts is one of its primary purposes. He identified the Davenport Vice Lords as being a criminal street gang under this criterion. As the State points out, there was no objection to this testimony, but, in any event, it was relevant and admissible evidence concerning one of the Vice Lord's primary activities. Cf. People v. Gamez, 235 Cal.App.3d 957, 960-63, 286 Cal.Rptr. 894, 897-900 (1991) (police officer could properly offer expert opinion evidence regarding ongoing criminality of gangs; California criminal gang statute required evidence of gang's past criminal conduct and ongoing criminal nature). This testimony was substantial evidence to support a finding that one of the primary activities of the Vice Lords was the commission of one or more criminal acts. 2. Pattern of criminal gang activity. Officer Hawkins testified that shortly before the drive-by shooting at the Mason home, a drug search warrant was executed at a residence in Davenport. Officers arrested several individuals at that location for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. During the search, officers found a significant amount of Vice Lords literature. Hawkins also testified that in 1991 he was present at a party in the Palmer College of Chiropractic auditorium. At the end of the party, a member of the Gangster Disciples performed a rap song belittling the Vice Lords. A Vice Lords member then performed a rap song belittling the Gangster Disciples. A fight ensued, with a Gangster Disciples member being assaulted to the point of almost losing an eye. From this evidence the jury could reasonably find that at least two criminal acts were committed on separate dates by persons who are members of the same criminal gang, the Vice Lords. The criminal acts, of course, were possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and willful injury. Both offenses are within the statutory definition of criminal acts. See Iowa Code §§ 723A.1(1)(a) (controlled substance) and 723A.1(1)(f) (forcible felony). Such a finding meets the definition for pattern of criminal gang activity in section 723A.1(3) and establishes the element, pattern of criminal gang activity in the definition of criminal street gang under section 723A.1(2). For all the foregoing reasons, we conclude there was substantial record evidence from which the jury could find that Lewis was guilty of criminal gang participation.