California legal term
pattern of criminal gang activity in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “pattern of criminal gang activity” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “pattern of criminal gang activity” mean in California criminal law?
“pattern of criminal gang activity” means the commission of, attempted commission of, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation of, sustained juvenile petition for, or conviction of, two or more of the following offenses, provided at least one of these offenses occurred after the effective date of this chapter, and the last of those offenses occurred within three years of the prior offense and within three years of the date the current offense is alleged to have been committed, the offenses were committed on separate occasions or by two or more members, the offenses commonly benefited a criminal s (Cal. Penal Code § 186.22)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.