Prostitution and solicitation are embarrassing crimes to be charged with, and only skilled Los Angeles prostitution defense attorneys know how to battle in court on behalf of their clients. Recently, law enforcement in Los Angeles has taken a different angle in prosecuting and punishing those individuals charged with solicitation. Solicitation, also known as Solicitation for Prostitution, the act of directing or asking someone to exchange money for sexual activity is defined under Section 647(b) of the California Penal Code. Those arrested for soliciting a prostitute are known as "johns."
Los Angeles has begun a "john" school, a new effort by law enforcement officials to stem prostitution in Los Angeles. Built on the belief that a heavy dose of in-your-face shame and scare tactics can do more to dissuade men from looking to the streets for gratification than traditional punishment, the class -- think traffic school with higher stakes -- offers first-time offenders leniency in exchange for a promise that they will change their ways. It is the latest example of how prosecutors and police around the country are rethinking their strategies in the age-old battle against prostitution.
Launched recently by the Los Angeles city attorney's office, the Prostitution Diversion Program currently targets only those johns nabbed by the LAPD along a cheerless stretch of Figueroa Boulevard pockmarked by liquor stores and cheap motels -- one of the city's epicenters for street-walking prostitutes. There are tentative plans to expand the class citywide if the pilot program proves successful.
Last month's class of johns was a bland bunch. Most appeared to be in their 20s or 30s, with a few others approaching middle age. They wore jeans and inexpensive watches. A few wore wedding bands. A young, heavy-set man with sad eyes and a meek voice slumped in a folding chair, seemingly plucked from an office cubicle. Behind him, two others in baseball caps sat silently with their arms crossed and lips pursed. Sitting alone in the front row, another earnestly took notes in a leather-bound binder.
Not everyone is eligible for john school. A man cannot have prior arrests for prostitution, drugs or violent crimes on his rap sheet and must be willing to submit to an HIV blood test. Each john shells out $600 to cover the cost of the class. In exchange, the men get a free pass -- of sorts. Dawson keeps the misdemeanor solicitation charges hanging over the men's heads for a year. If a john doesn't get arrested again trying to pick up a hooker, his file is closed. He avoids the typical sentence of 15 days in County Jail and a conviction on his record, not to mention the thousands of dollars in legal fees associated with a day in court.
Your first line of defense is to contact a skilled California criminal attorney right away. Your lawyer will evaluate the evidence and witnesses, question the appropriate persons, and work with you on building your case. The criminal defense attorneys at Stephen G. Rodriguez and Associates will act immediately to preserve any evidence favorable to the defense.a
