In a post earlier this week, I waxed poetic about the term "scrap," which was discussed in an opinion by the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday and is a derogatory term for members of the Sureño gang that is often employed by members of the rival Norteño gang. As I said, I'm eminently familiar with that insult, since it's been used in approximately 250 opinions in the California Court of Appeal alone.
Coincidentally enough, today's opinion mentions that the perpetrator called the victim "Chapete.” That's a term that I haven't heard before. And guess what? It turns out that, according to Justice Dondero, that term "is derogatory term Sureños label members of the
Norteños."
Now I know both!
I was surprised that I hadn't heard that term before. If only because the Sureños and Norteños are fighting all the time and result in a plethora of published opinions here in California.
So I looked it up. The term "Chapete" has indeed been used (and discussed) by the Court of Appeal before. But only a half-dozen times. And only in unpublished opinions.
Hence undoubtedly why I didn't recall seeing it before.
Fortunately for us, today, the Court of Appeal publishes this opinion. The first one ever to use the published term "Chapete". Right on the heels of our prior discussion of "scrap".
What a wonderfully informative week.
P.S. - I also did look up where the phrase "Chapete" comes from. It's of Spanish origin. I'll leave it at that.
