Gangs Expert Witness Directory

Gang expert witnesses provide opinions on issues normally related to gang sentencing enhancements and deportation in criminal and immigration courts. Their expertise in often limited to specific gangs, or specific types of gangs, such as criminal street gangs, ethnically based gangs and racist gangs, motorcycle and prison gangs, as well as some cults, militias and paramilitary forces. Gang experts are often called upon to verify gang member identification (eg: tattoos), but also on the likelihood of violence against ex-gangmembers and their families, both within and outside the United States in cases of deporation. These experts often opine on gang activities, composition, hangouts, boundaries, graffiti and rivalries.

Gang expert testimony can lead to sentencing enhancments of one to 10 years, or to deportation and ultimately the torture and murder of rival or ex-gang members in foreign countries. The use of gang experts can be risky and controversial, especially in criminal matters where the expert witness may also be a fact witness (eg: a police investigator), and issues involving testimonial hearsay, the Confrontation Clause and Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (2004).