Story Line
California Story examines the story of gang documentation in the state of California. PL 182.5 is the law on the books, and it effectively criminalizes anyone who may have any connection to a gang. The law allows for the arrest and prosecution of anyone suspected of having ”gang affiliation” without much guidance or oversight on how such ties should be measured – documentation has become widespread. The results may have strayed from the original intent, as the arrests of Aaron Harvey and Brandon Duncan illustrates: they were charged with multiple counts of murder, although the DA’s office acknowledges neither
men had any first-hand knowledge of the crimes, nor were they physically present at the time. Each man was held for over 7 months in jail, when after public outcry, and upon consent of the prosecutor, all charges were ultimately dismissed. This type of discrimination is occurring all across the state of California, from San Diego to Los Angeles to San Francisco. Our film examines how gang documentation has impacted communities of color, and includes former and current gang members, passionate community advocates, law enforcement leadership, police and sheriffs, local politicians, journalists and other prominent voices. The goal of the film is to increase understanding between the subjects and their communities, to erase these discriminatory laws from the books, and to bring all of California closer together in the process.
