Are gang sentences a deterrent or joke?

YOUNGSTOWN — One died violently, two are now accused of murder. Some stayed out of trouble, some didn’t.

They first made news in May 2006, when city, county, state and federal officials announced that members of three gangs had been indicted in juvenile court and charged with participation in a criminal gang.

As with conventional organized crime, the gang members’ criminal histories tied them together. The gangs — South Side Soldiers, L Unit and Dale Boys — operated mostly on the South Side.

The case involved 18 juveniles and 11 adults who were juveniles when the alleged crimes occurred. They were involved with everything from drug offenses and theft to vandalism and shooting at one another, authorities said.

Anissa Jones Modarelli, an assistant county prosecutor, said when the indictment was announced that getting them now may stop hard-core drug crimes a few years from now.

Of the 27 gang cases that stayed in juvenile court, one boy was sentenced to a Department of Youth Services facility, nine defendants received probation and five had their charges dismissed. Twelve cases are pending.

Two defendants had their cases transferred to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to be tried as adults. These cases also are pending.

For more details on these cases, see Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com