By KERI BLAKINGER Los Angeles Times/TNS
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LOS ANGELES — In a 42-page ruling that is sure to be contentious, a civil court judge effectively blocked the county watchdog from thoroughly investigating deputy gangs that operate within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The lengthy decision, dated Monday but released a day later, is the latest development in an ongoing lawsuit over whether suspected members of deputy gangs can be forced to answer questions and show their tattoos to county oversight investigators.

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The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs — which filed the suit in May — said requiring its members to reveal ink or submit to interviews would violate the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches and the Fifth Amendment’s protections against self-incrimination, as well as state labor law.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant partially agreed — for now. But it was the arguments relating to labor law that he found most compelling, so this week’s preliminary injunction will only halt the Office of Inspector General’s investigation until the labor issues are resolved.

Given how long the county’s efforts to investigate deputy gangs have already taken, the judge said there was no urgency in moving forward with the probe immediately.

“The county will face little to no harm from a preliminary injunctive relief because the tattoos are permanent and will be available for inspection after a trial on the merits,” Chalfant added.

Still, civil rights experts worry the decision could have broader implications for efforts to hold law enforcement accountable, effectively undermining a 2021 state law aimed at eradicating deputy gangs.

“It could have a chilling effect,” said Andrés Kwon, senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. “The law mandates all law enforcement agencies to clearly prohibit deputy gangs and to cooperate with investigations into deputy gangs, essentially. It’s a clear mandate, and ALADS is trying to block this law from being implemented.”

In Los Angeles, the ruling presents a significant roadblock to the Office of Inspector General’s investigation.

“I’m disappointed that deputy gangs will remain for now, and I expect the county will appeal,” said Inspector General Max Huntsman.

“It’s been a year and a half since California outlawed the gangs without meaningful investigation by law enforcement,” he added. “My office will continue to work toward the day when the Sheriff’s Department is no longer above the law.”

For nearly half a century, the Sheriff’s Department has been plagued by rogue groups of deputies allegedly running roughshod over certain stations and promoting a culture of violence. A Loyola Marymount University report released in 2021 identified 18 such groups that have existed over the last five decades, commonly known by names such as the Executioners, the Banditos, the Regulators and the Little Devils.