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Brooklyn Prostitution Criminal Defense Lawyer

In Brooklyn and New York, in general, prostitution is a crime that is taken seriously. Individuals who are found to be engaging in sexual activity for business purposes to earn money, promoting prostitution or soliciting prostitutes can be arrested and charged with the crime. There are laws in Brooklyn and New York as a whole pertaining to prostitution.

What Encompasses Prostitution in Brooklyn and New York, in General?

Prostitution is called one of the world’s oldest crimes. It is highly common all over the world.

There are various categories of this crime in Brooklyn that are classified depending on the severity of the crime. Generally speaking, most of the laws are fairly lenient.

If someone is arrested for prostitution and are convicted for the most basic crime per New York’s Penal Code 230.00, they are charged with a class B misdemeanor and can receive more lenient penalties. In any case, it’s important for anyone arrested for this crime to retain an experienced criminal defense attorney.

Understanding New York Prostitution Laws

Prostitution is considered a crime in virtually every part of the United States. However, different states have different laws on the books as to how serious the crime is, and what kind of penalties a person faces if found guilty.

Those who face prostitution charges in New York State are looking at a Class B Misdemeanor. The act itself involves an agreement between two or more people to have one individual exchange sexual acts for monetary value.

In other words, to have one person pay another to have sex with them is illegal in the state of New York. The definition of a sexual act can be rather broad as well. Some of the acts that may qualify as prostitution may include some acts between two people in which both are fully clothed.

This is why it is so important to understand the broad range of what exactly prostitution is in New York.

Patronizing a Prostitute Under New York Law

Patronizing people for prostitution, also known as soliciting prostitutes, involves trying to pick up a prostitute to engage in sexual activity and paying them for their services. This crime falls under the Penal Code 230.02.

A person can be found guilty if they made an agreement with a prostitute to have sexual contact in exchange for money. Patronizing a prostitute is charged as a class A misdemeanor. However, if the prostitute is under 14, it’s charged as a class E felony. If the prostitute is younger than 11, it is considered a class D felony.

Prostitution in School Zones

Prostitution in a school zone, as per Penal Code 230.04 is very serious because it is in close proximity to children.

A school zone can include:

• Not only a school itself
• Any building, structure, playground or land around or within a public or private school

This crime is charged as a class A misdemeanor.

Penalties and Sentences for Prostitution in Brooklyn and New York, in General

The exact penalties a person can receive when they are convicted of a prostitution crime depend on the crime itself.

What The Punishments Look Like

For a general prostitution conviction, the crime is charged as a class B misdemeanor, which carries a jail term of up to three months and a maximum fine of $500.

Engaging in prostitution can lead a person to face a potential penalty of up to a $500 fine and up to three months in jail according to FindLaw.com. Of course, those who are multiple offenders are more likely to face more severe penalties than those who are first time offenders.

Patronizing a prostitute, a class A misdemeanor, means the individual would receive up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000. In some cases, the individual would only receive one or the other.

However, if they are convicted of patronizing a prostitute under the age of 14, the charge is considered to be a class E felony, which has harsher penalties that include two to five years in prison.

Permitting Prostitution Penalties

Permitting prostitution is charged as a class B misdemeanor, which can result in the individual receiving a term of up to three months in jail and a $1,000 fine or simply one of those penalties.

Promoting prostitution is a class A misdemeanor, which includes a prison term of up to one year and a maximum fine of $1,000. In some instances, the individual may only be responsible for one of those penalties.

While this is the potential sentence for someone who engages in prostitution themselves, there are many other types of charges that may stem out of similar activities. For example, it is also illegal to promote prostitution or to be involved in any kind of human trafficking.

Those can be much more serious charges depending upon the circumstances. For example, sex trafficking is something that is considered a Class B Felony and can result in anywhere from three to twenty-five years in prison.

Severe Felony Charges

Compelling prostitution is considered a class B felony, which means a person convicted of the crime can receive a prison term of anywhere from three to 25 years and a $5,000 fine.

Sex trafficking is a class B felony, which means the individual would receive three to 25 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Around 70 percent of all women in prisons were originally arrested for prostitution.

According to FBI statistics, approximately 20,000 arrests for prostitution were made in 2019, with females comprising 63% of those arrests. This underscores the importance of experienced legal representation for anyone facing these charges in Brooklyn or New York.

Possible Defenses for Prostitution Charges

There is one chief defense that can be used by the defense attorney in a prostitution case. Brooklyn and New York as a whole recognizes a defense against patronizing a prostitute.

The defense can argue that the defendant was not aware that the prostitute was under the age of 14 or 11.

No matter what the specific Penal Code of the charge, if someone has been arrested for a prostitution crime in Brooklyn, it’s imperative that they speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney. It is the best chance they have in getting the charges reduced or dropped.

Why You Should Always Get An Attorney

This is a crime that certainly has a lot of gray area to it. There are even some who advocate that it should not be considered a crime at all. Thus far, they have not been able to get the laws changed to make prostitution not a crime, but they are still fighting that battle.

Certain areas of the state of Nevada for example have made prostitution legal in that particular geographic area. Still, for places where it is not legal it is important to get an attorney right away if you face any such charges.

Legal representation in a matter as serious as a prostitution charge can be the difference between you walking away free or with only having to pay a small fine, and you facing jail time.

Trying to represent yourself in any legal matter is a bad idea, but in this particular area of the law it may be worse still. A lot of people who would sit on a jury for a prostitution case would possibly think you were guilty before you even had the opportunity to defend yourself.

Therefore, you do not want to take your chances with this one. Get a qualified attorney in your corner.

How an Attorney Can Help

A good attorney can back you up in terms of what actually happened in the interaction you had with another individual. They can look through all of the evidence to see if there are reasons why you may not in fact have done anything wrong at all.

In short, they can be your advocate when no one else may want to stand by your side. Defend yourself and your rights by getting a good attorney.

Don’t deal with Brooklyn Prostitution Criminal Defense Lawyer alone. Speak to the Spodek Law Group today.

Brooklyn Promoting Prostitution Lawyers

Benefitting from prostitution is a serious offense in the state of New York. If you have been accused of promoting prostitution, it can result in considerable penalties. Knowing how to handle the legalities of these charges is important.

We have the Brooklyn promoting prostitution lawyers who can provide you with legal counsel. This ensures that you have someone knowledgeable about the laws at your side every step of the way.

Being Accused of Promoting Prostitution

There are quite a few things involved with promoting prostitution. Most likely, you weren’t the prostitute. Instead, you may have been promoting one or more prostitutes for financial gain.

If you are being charged with promoting, it is because there is sufficient evidence to show that you were:

• Causing another person to participate in the act of prostitution
• Soliciting customers
• Engaging in some other behavior that helps to facilitate prostitution

Depending on what the charges are against you, it could be a misdemeanor or a felony. IN some instances, simply promoting prostitution is a Class A misdemeanor in the state of New York, however, a Class D felony could also be what you’re up against if you’re managing or owning a business in the area of prostitution where two or more individuals are involved.

Penalties You May Face

The penalties are going to vary based on what you are being charged with. How many people you have “managed” into prostitution and how much you have made will be taken into consideration when establishing your penalties.

Additionally, if you are a second or third-time offender, the penalties could be more severe.

There are various degrees of promoting prostitution:

• The third degree is when you’re profiting from business with two or more individuals who are prostituting themselves for your gain. Penalties could result in up to seven years in prison.
• The second degree is when you use force or intimidation, which can result in up to 15 years in prison.
• First degree offenses are when you are involved in the prostitution of someone under the age of 11. This could result in up to 25 years in prison.

Knowing the penalties will show you the severity of the charges. You may be able to have charges dropped and/or penalties reduced based on how much evidence is in place. It’s one of the reasons why legal counsel is so important. You need to have a lawyer who is committed to helping you with these charges.

How Brooklyn Promoting Prostitution Lawyers Can Help

Brooklyn promoting prostitution lawyers are available to review your case. As soon as you are charged with promoting prostitution, you need to begin working with a lawyer. This can ensure you have a legal professional to help you during the bail hearing and more.

It may be possible to get out bail while you await your trial. You will need to decide whether you are going to plead guilty or not guilty.

In some instances, there may be a plea bargain available, especially if you’re able to provide information about other prostitution activity throughout Brooklyn and other parts of NYC.

If you are innocent, we will work to prove your innocence. If you’re guilty, we will work to try to reduce the charges and the penalties so that you don’t spend as much time in prison.

The state of New York takes promoting prostitution charges seriously, which means it can be difficult to get a positive ruling. Let us help you by contacting us today. We can review your case and determine what we can do for you.

Don’t deal with Brooklyn Promoting Prostitution Lawyers alone. Speak to the Spodek Law Group today.