A San Diego man has made an appeal in front of a judge for his name to be taken off of the statewide gang member database, making him the first locally and the second in California to make the ask.
Police track gang members on the CalGang database. Until a new law that allows for appeal was passed, names added to the list have always stayed on it, even if the person left the gang life.
Tyrone Simmons is trying to become one of the first people to take advantage of the new legislation.
Before Jan. 1, 2017, who was documented, how and why was privy to law enforcement only.
Since then, police have been required to notify people who are added to the database. The law also states that if five years go by without any evidence of gang affiliation, the person in question should be removed from the list
Tyrone's original request was denied by the San Diego Police Department. The department claims it has enough evidence to tie Tyrone to gang involvement in 2014.
But his lawyer Danielle Iredale says her client ended his involvement with gangs after the birth of his daughter 10 years ago.
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"He did his time, he graduated college and works full time and now he's ready to take back his definition of who he is," Iredale told a judge at Thursday's appeal hearing.
The judge did not make a decision. All parties are scheduled to be back in court on March 23.
