Beverly Hills Prostitution Lawyer

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It’s no secret that Beverly Hills is a hotbed for prostitution scandals. Celebrities and politicians have all made headlines for engaging in acts of prostitution.

In the state of California, it’s illegal to receive compensation for any sexual act. Specifically, prostitution means you:

  • Agreed to a sexual act with another person in exchange for compensation.
  • Intended to engage in an act of prostitution.

You cannot be convicted of prostitution for wearing provocative clothing. Nor can you be convicted for standing in certain locations.

It’s also illegal to offer compensation. Doing so is an act of solicitation under California law. Specifically, solicitation means you:

  • Asked someone to commit a sexual act in exchange for compensation.
  • Intended to engage in said acts after offering the compensation.

As you can see, merely agreeing to break this law could cause criminal consequences. And all sexual acts are covered–not just intercourse.

Either of these two acts falls under the same criminal charge: “engaging in prostitution.”

If you broker an exchange between the prostitute and the client and then take a portion of the earnings, you could be charged with pimping instead. If you talk someone into being a prostitute or continuing to work as one, you can be charged with pandering. Both are more serious crimes.

“Compensation” covers anything of value: jewelry, valuable electronics, drugs, cars, or anything else you can think of. It does not have to be money.

Prostitution can happen anywhere. And the law doesn’t care whether two people made the exchange on a street corner, in a high-end hotel, or in a private bedroom. If valuables changed hands in exchange for any sex act, the law covers it.

Beverly Hills Prostitution Lawyer

Consequences for a Beverly Hills Prostitution Conviction

Prostitution is a misdemeanor. The first offense carries a penalty of up to 6 months in jail and up to $1000 in fines. Subsequent offenses cause mandatory sentencing minimums to kick in: 45 days in jail for the first offense, 90 days for the second.

Certain behaviors can enhance the charges. For example, if you engaged in the act in a vehicle within 1,000 feet of any private home, you can get your driver’s license suspended for 30 days.

Pimping and pandering are both felonies. They can carry penalties of up to six years in prison. The judge may also levy up to $15,000 in fines.

You can also get into trouble for providing assistance to people engaged in the act of prostitution. It’s a misdemeanor to serve as a driver or as a bodyguard for a prostitute, for example. Again, the penalty is up to 6 months in jail and up to $1000 in fines.

Defending Prostitution Charges

There are a few defenses we can use.

  • We can prove the act was not an act of prostitution because no valuables changed hands, nor were any offered.
  • We can demonstrate there was no agreement to engage in sexual activity.
  • We can show there’s insufficient evidence to convict.
  • We may be able to prove the facts of the case have been misinterpreted.

Often, we have one more defense we can fall back on. In some cases, we can prove law enforcement obtained its evidence illegally. The most common way we do this is to prove law enforcement used entrapment to encourage an act the accused would never have committed without their intervention. An officer is not permitted to push anyone into attempting to solicit sex acts from them. Nor are they permitted to solicit sex acts themselves.

There are several ways perfectly innocent acts could be misinterpreted.

For example, it’s perfectly legal to give your girlfriend or boyfriend a gift. We could show how you’ve been in a relationship for a while, and that the gift is innocent and not directly related to any sex act you and your partner also engage in.

It’s perfectly legal to stand on a public street to talk to anyone or to park a car and talk to someone. No matter how they are dressed.

It’s even legal to pay someone to go on a date with you, as long as you don’t pay them to engage in sexual acts with you. It’s legal to accept money for a date, too. Just keep in mind, escorts who provide this service must be licensed. Acting as an unlicensed escort can expose you to misdemeanor charges.

We have been successful at refuting claims of the prosecution.

Wherever possible, we try to get charges dropped or dismissed so you’re in no danger of seeing anything on your permanent record. Where that’s impossible, we either try to acquit or try to help you reduce the charges so you don’t face any jail time.

Usually, the charge the prosecution is willing to offer on plea bargain is a “disturbing the peace” or “criminal trespass” charge. While it’s not ideal to have any charge on your record, it is one employer and landlords are more likely to overlook than a solicitation conviction.

A Note for Minors

If you are under the age of 18 you cannot be prosecuted for prostitution. The state charges anyone who engages in a sexual act with a minor with statutory rape. If someone is forcing you to engage in these acts you can get help without fear of reprisal. Any of the individuals involved are guilty of human trafficking.

If you’re in trouble, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888. They will direct you to the nearest location where you can get help.

How to Get Help with Prostitution Charges

Take prostitution charges seriously. They can impact your professional life, your personal life, and your overall reputation. Six months in jail is more than enough to disrupt any job you have or any life you’ve built.

The attorneys at Greco Neyland treat all our clients with respect and care, no matter what they’re accused of doing.  Contact us now for your free consultation. Call (213) 984-2300 today.

Beverly Hills Prostitution Lawyer

inne-rpage-seperator

It’s no secret that Beverly Hills is a hotbed for prostitution scandals. Celebrities and politicians have all made headlines for engaging in acts of prostitution.

In the state of California, it’s illegal to receive compensation for any sexual act. Specifically, prostitution means you:

  • Agreed to a sexual act with another person in exchange for compensation.
  • Intended to engage in an act of prostitution.

You cannot be convicted of prostitution for wearing provocative clothing. Nor can you be convicted for standing in certain locations.

It’s also illegal to offer compensation. Doing so is an act of solicitation under California law. Specifically, solicitation means you:

  • Asked someone to commit a sexual act in exchange for compensation.
  • Intended to engage in said acts after offering the compensation.

As you can see, merely agreeing to break this law could cause criminal consequences. And all sexual acts are covered–not just intercourse.

Either of these two acts falls under the same criminal charge: “engaging in prostitution.”

If you broker an exchange between the prostitute and the client and then take a portion of the earnings, you could be charged with pimping instead. If you talk someone into being a prostitute or continuing to work as one, you can be charged with pandering. Both are more serious crimes.

“Compensation” covers anything of value: jewelry, valuable electronics, drugs, cars, or anything else you can think of. It does not have to be money.

Prostitution can happen anywhere. And the law doesn’t care whether two people made the exchange on a street corner, in a high-end hotel, or in a private bedroom. If valuables changed hands in exchange for any sex act, the law covers it.

Beverly Hills Prostitution Lawyer

Consequences for a Beverly Hills Prostitution Conviction

Prostitution is a misdemeanor. The first offense carries a penalty of up to 6 months in jail and up to $1000 in fines. Subsequent offenses cause mandatory sentencing minimums to kick in: 45 days in jail for the first offense, 90 days for the second.

Certain behaviors can enhance the charges. For example, if you engaged in the act in a vehicle within 1,000 feet of any private home, you can get your driver’s license suspended for 30 days.

Pimping and pandering are both felonies. They can carry penalties of up to six years in prison. The judge may also levy up to $15,000 in fines.

You can also get into trouble for providing assistance to people engaged in the act of prostitution. It’s a misdemeanor to serve as a driver or as a bodyguard for a prostitute, for example. Again, the penalty is up to 6 months in jail and up to $1000 in fines.

Defending Prostitution Charges

There are a few defenses we can use.

  • We can prove the act was not an act of prostitution because no valuables changed hands, nor were any offered.
  • We can demonstrate there was no agreement to engage in sexual activity.
  • We can show there’s insufficient evidence to convict.
  • We may be able to prove the facts of the case have been misinterpreted.

Often, we have one more defense we can fall back on. In some cases, we can prove law enforcement obtained its evidence illegally. The most common way we do this is to prove law enforcement used entrapment to encourage an act the accused would never have committed without their intervention. An officer is not permitted to push anyone into attempting to solicit sex acts from them. Nor are they permitted to solicit sex acts themselves.

There are several ways perfectly innocent acts could be misinterpreted.

For example, it’s perfectly legal to give your girlfriend or boyfriend a gift. We could show how you’ve been in a relationship for a while, and that the gift is innocent and not directly related to any sex act you and your partner also engage in.

It’s perfectly legal to stand on a public street to talk to anyone or to park a car and talk to someone. No matter how they are dressed.

It’s even legal to pay someone to go on a date with you, as long as you don’t pay them to engage in sexual acts with you. It’s legal to accept money for a date, too. Just keep in mind, escorts who provide this service must be licensed. Acting as an unlicensed escort can expose you to misdemeanor charges.

We have been successful at refuting claims of the prosecution.

Wherever possible, we try to get charges dropped or dismissed so you’re in no danger of seeing anything on your permanent record. Where that’s impossible, we either try to acquit or try to help you reduce the charges so you don’t face any jail time.

Usually, the charge the prosecution is willing to offer on plea bargain is a “disturbing the peace” or “criminal trespass” charge. While it’s not ideal to have any charge on your record, it is one employer and landlords are more likely to overlook than a solicitation conviction.

A Note for Minors

If you are under the age of 18 you cannot be prosecuted for prostitution. The state charges anyone who engages in a sexual act with a minor with statutory rape. If someone is forcing you to engage in these acts you can get help without fear of reprisal. Any of the individuals involved are guilty of human trafficking.

If you’re in trouble, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888. They will direct you to the nearest location where you can get help.

How to Get Help with Prostitution Charges

Take prostitution charges seriously. They can impact your professional life, your personal life, and your overall reputation. Six months in jail is more than enough to disrupt any job you have or any life you’ve built.

The attorneys at Greco Neyland treat all our clients with respect and care, no matter what they’re accused of doing.  Contact us now for your free consultation. Call (213) 984-2300 today.

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