New Florida Prostitution Law Changes
[QUOTE=Camera3;2605787]GM,
Here is a pretty good article comparing the current law with the new law:
[URL]http://www.criminallawyerinjax.com/2015/04/new-soliciting-prostitution-law-in-florida/[/URL]
Simply stated, the third time a SP is convicted of solicitation, the second for us Johns, it is a Third Degree Felony. What does that mean? In Florida, a Third Degree Felony is punishable by no more than five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. By the way, for the third time for us Johns it can go up to 15 years. Ouch!
It is interesting that on the Third Degree Felony strike you may be given the option of enrolling in an intervention program. I am guessing this may be the same type of program that Josh Dugger is in.
It gets better. On your first conviction you must serve 100 hours of community service AND pay for and attend an approved educational program that focuses on the negative effects of prostitution and human trafficking. For the second or subsequent time, he or she will have to serve a mandatory 10 day jail sentence. There is an additional punishment if a vehicle is used during the commission of the crime. If a person uses his or her vehicle while soliciting prostitution, the judge may impound or immobilize the vehicle for 60 days.
Kinda sucks for car dates.
So, yeah, the game is changing a bit.
C3.[/QUOTE]I believe the 10 day minimum mandatory jail sentence applies on the first conviction with increased jail time for subsequent convictions. However, I could be mistaken and would welcome input from other hobbyists with information on the subject. For those unfamiliar with the changes, you can google "New Florida prostitution statute changes effective October 2015" or something similar and you will receive multiple hits.
I think an immediate effect would be that the value of a known and trusted provider would be greatly enhanced as only an unwitting or reckless hobbyist would contact an unverified provider after October 1.
Imagine all of the tourists here for big football games, concerts, conventions, etc, who will be ensnared in the new law. There will be many other unintended (or perhaps intended) consequences that will not become apparent until after October 1. Definitely a game changer.
New Law regarding prostitution
[QUOTE=Camera3;2605787]GM,
Here is a pretty good article comparing the current law with the new law:
[URL]http://www.criminallawyerinjax.com/2015/04/new-soliciting-prostitution-law-in-florida/[/URL]
Simply stated, the third time a SP is convicted of solicitation, the second for us Johns, it is a Third Degree Felony. What does that mean? In Florida, a Third Degree Felony is punishable by no more than five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. By the way, for the third time for us Johns it can go up to 15 years. Ouch!
It is interesting that on the Third Degree Felony strike you may be given the option of enrolling in an intervention program. I am guessing this may be the same type of program that Josh Dugger is in.
It gets better. On your first conviction you must serve 100 hours of community service AND pay for and attend an approved educational program that focuses on the negative effects of prostitution and human trafficking. For the second or subsequent time, he or she will have to serve a mandatory 10 day jail sentence. There is an additional punishment if a vehicle is used during the commission of the crime. If a person uses his or her vehicle while soliciting prostitution, the judge may impound or immobilize the vehicle for 60 days.
Kinda sucks for car dates.
So, yeah, the game is changing a bit.
C3.[/QUOTE]Yes it's definitely changing.
What is troubling is the words "mandatory sentencing" It remains to be seen if the prosecutors will have room to allow a plea to a lesser offense or if they have a 'slam dunk' where they have the person on tape committing the offense, will they draw the hard line and nail you to the cross. If they do and you have to either go to trial or plead guilty then the judge has to give you the "mandatory sentence" and it's no joke and a game changer.
The old way if you were found guilty the first time you paid court costs, attended a "Red Cross" 4 hr. STD class, and went to the health dept. For an Aid's test.
Now having said that under the old law the prosecutors had a lot of leeway, many of you remember "Tanya" on the trail she is still around after close to 20 yrs. , I think she just delivers dope now but anyway she has been arrested well over 20 x and has never been charged or convicted of a FELONY. And the old law allowed a felony after the third conviction—so it remains to be seen how it will be handled—but personally I won't be finding out.
I do know a girl that was convicted of shoplifting and upon her third arrest she was convicted of a felony and now she is being arraigned this month on her fourth shoplifting arrest, she is also a part time in and out of the business provider who has one misdemeanor prost. Conviction. So it seems they are getting stricter.
Hopefully if a guy is a member here and reads TFF and learns to keep his mouth shut in terms of what constitutes solicitation I. E. The offering of money for a sexual act, he will be fine. But we all know that most of the men in Orlando don't read the forum and LEO will have a field day with this new law. And remember the solicitation can be done on the phone or email and if you offer or agree to a sex act for money and then show up at a location, you are cooked.
I responded to a "Craigs list ad" in Lake County last week. A girl posted that she needed help making her truck payment, I responded how much is the payment and to send me a picture of the truck. A real girl would have sent me a hot pic and a payment figure and we would have worked out the details without ever saying anything specific. She responded " I love that truck and I'm going to run out and take a picture" (10 pm) I never got a further response, I wonder why? Could it be that I didn't offer her a truck payment for a P. O. A. Be extremely careful always but especially after October First.
VS.
