West Los Angeles : Gang Member Sentenced

A 19-year-old street gang member has been ordered jailed for five months after being convicted in connection with an Aug. 16 brawl at the West Los Angeles Courthouse between rival gangs.

Alvino Moody of the Mid-City area was sentenced late last week after pleading no contest to one count of disturbing the peace. He was also found in violation of three terms of probation from previous convictions, according to Deputy City Atty. Peter Shutan, one of two prosecutors handling the case.

Shutan said the charge against Moody was the result of a violent melee involving two rival Westside gangs that erupted in a hallway outside a courtroom where members of both gangs were awaiting hearings in unrelated cases.

County marshals broke up the brawl and arrested 10 gang members, all of whom were charged in the incident. Seven face an Oct. 11 trial. One, Roger Wilburn, 21, has pleaded no contest to one count of disturbing the peace, and another is scheduled for trial Friday, Shutan said.

Moody was also ordered to perform 20 hours of community service cleaning up graffiti and to appear at an Oct. 18 hearing to determine if he should pay restitution, the city attorney’s office said. It said Moody’s three prior convictions were for driving on revoked or suspended licenses.