Amid an ongoing debate over a new gang injunction in a Santa Ana neighborhood, defense attorneys are seeking court approval to question Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas under oath.
A court hearing Wednesday will center on their request. The attorneys, who have asked for crime statistics on the neighborhood in question, want to ask him why he’s seeking the injunction.
Superior Court Judge Franz E. Miller could decide on their request at the hearing, or issue a written ruling later.
A Facebook event created by local activists calls on residents and journalists to attend the hearing in person. So far, 27 people have responded that they’ll be going.
Last month, an Orange County judge approved a preliminary injunction in the Townsend Street neighborhood.
The injunction is essentially a restraining order that would restrict the activities of the gang’s members in a .39-square-mile safety zone bordered by McFadden Avenue, and Raitt, Sullivan and First streets.
Those enjoined would be prohibited, for example, from associating with gang members in public spaces within the safety zone, with the exception of certain spaces such as schools or churches. The order also prohibits gang members from acting as lookouts, trespassing, fighting, blocking free passage or intimidating anyone in public.
It will enjoin only 10 of the 24 people who were served with the complaint. In October, Miller will schedule a trial date for the permanent injunction. The remaining individuals are challenging their inclusion in the complaint.
The hearing starts Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in room C-14 of Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.
You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.