Prostitution is one of the most aggressively prosecuted sex crimes in Florida due to its lewd and lascivious nature. However, law enforcement often targets individuals who they suspect of being prostitutes and implement deceptive tactics to get a conviction. Even if they can’t get a prostitution charge to stick, they can charge you with solicitation based solely on the words you use. If you find yourself facing charges for prostitution or solicitation, reach out to an experienced criminal defense attorney who can explain your legal options.
The Polk County prostitution lawyers at The Umansky Law Firm have over 100 years of combined experience that we can use to your benefit. As former prosecutors on the state and local level, we have a thorough understanding of how the state approaches prostitution cases and can use our insight to help have charges lessened or even dismissed if possible. Discover your legal defense options by contacting a quality defense attorney today.
Many people wrongfully assume that the sex crime charges they face aren’t that serious. What they fail to realize; however, is that a criminal conviction for prostitution or solicitation warrants severe criminal penalties:
Your sentence of incarceration and hefty fines may also be coupled with probation upon your release and even mandatory HIV testing and AIDS classes. You can avoid all of this by hiring a criminal defense attorney who has experience successfully handling prostitution cases.
A large portion of prostitution arrests result from stings. A prostitution sting is when an officer goes undercover with a suspected prostitute and offers money in exchange for sexual acts. The goal of the officer is to record the individual agreeing to the acts and to use that as evidence to get a conviction. However, there are numerous areas to question when challenging the evidence presented by law enforcement including:
Entrapment is one of the most effective defenses to prostitution charges as law enforcement often goes outside of the line of duty to get a conviction. When applying such a defense, the burden of proof is on the defendant to prove that they were not predisposed to commit the crime but were instead coerced by law enforcement.
We can also look deeper into the actual evidence presented by the prosecution. Oftentimes, the words exchanged between the defendant and the law enforcement officer aren’t enough to substantiate an agreement or even a crime. A prime example is if the two parties only discussed preferred sexual acts, but there was never mention of an exchange of funds for sexual acts. In other occasions, the evidence collected is low quality or even gets misplaced. These are all factors that can be used to free you of presented charges.
The legal counsel you have defending you can be the difference between a criminal conviction and you being cleared of all charges. Provide yourself with the best possible chance of freedom with the help of a seasoned criminal defense attorney.
The Polk County prostitution lawyers are experienced attorneys with experience helping individuals accused of prostitution reach a favorable conclusion to their case. Allow us to use our over 100 years of combined experience to your benefit. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
