On Friday April 17, 2009 El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodríguez decided that, rather than seek a Temporary Restraining Order and a subsequent Temporary Injunction against alleged members of the Bloods street gang, his office will instead seek to fast track the case by aggressively pursuing a Permanent Injunction restricting the alleged criminal activities of the defendants.
Due to the decision, the hearing on a Temporary Restraining Order scheduled for Tuesday April 21, 2009 at County Court at Law # 3 has been cancelled. A date for a hearing on the Permanent Injunction is expected to be set by the court within 30 - 45 days.
Under this fast track approach, by eliminating the need for 2 previous hearings, Rodriguez expects to obtain a faster resolution to the case.
In making this decision, the County Attorney consulted with the El Paso Police Department to ensure that the northeast community will continue to be protected while the case is pending.
"The Court has appointed counsel to most of the defendants, so there is no reason to delay the final hearing on the Permanent Injunction. We want to give Judge Alvarez the opportunity to decide, as soon as possible, whether our petition for a Permanent Injunction has merit, and to have the Permanent Injunction in place to protect the residents of northeast El Paso," Rodriguez said.
Gang Injunction Fast Track Press Release.pdf