If you face prostitution allegations or arrest or charges for prostitution crimes, you have legal options. Working with our law firm can secure a positive outcome when you have a lot to lose, including your relationships, job, and freedom.
Gurion Legal represents clients facing allegations and charges related to prostitution arrests. Our Phoenix prostitution lawyers protect and defend clients throughout the legal process. Contact our office today for immediate representation or to learn more about our defense strategies.
Why Work With Our Phoenix Prostitution Attorneys?
At Gurion Legal, our criminal defense attorney, Omer Gurion, is a State Bar of Arizona Certified Specialist in criminal law. Lawyer Gurion devotes his work to protecting and defending the rights of those facing criminal allegations and charges. Along with a strong team, he navigates the criminal justice system for his clients and helps them get the fairest possible outcomes.
Attorney Gurion is known for his relentless approach to cases, including persuasive negotiation and building tough, aggressive defenses. When you work with the Gurion Legal team, you can feel confident that you have experienced and knowledgeable support on your side. We know what to expect and how to navigate the criminal justice system.
When to Connect With Our Phoenix Prostitution Lawyers
We recommend connecting with our team as soon as you learn about the allegations against you. We can go to work for you immediately or answer your questions during a no-obligation consultation.
Some people believe that if they give the police the answers they want to hear, the officers will see the truth, and the whole thing will blow over. While this is possible, it is unlikely. If the police have you detained for questioning or arrested you, they believe you are guilty. They are just trying to get more evidence to support the prosecution’s case.
If you find yourself in a Phoenix precinct or jail, and the police officers there want to interrogate you about your activities, you do not have to answer their questions. You have a right to make a local phone call, and we encourage you to call us.
We Protect Your Rights From the Very Beginning
We can go to work on your case as soon as you connect with us. We stand by your side during interrogations, represent you during arraignment and other court appearances, and fight for your best interests.
We help our clients get bail or released on their own recognizance and then work to implement a strong defense strategy. We know you do not want to spend more time than you have to in jail, go to prison, or face other serious consequences. We aim to reduce the lasting effects of this ordeal so you can move forward.
Let Our Team Build a Strong Defense in Your Phoenix Prostitution Case
When we represent a client in a Phoenix prostitution case, we ensure their rights remain protected, and we help them navigate the process. However, our focus is often on developing a strong defense strategy to help them get the best possible outcome.
Our attorneys carefully review the circumstances that led to your arrest or the charges against you. By getting a strong understanding of what happened and the prosecutor’s case, our team can create an approach that could secure your freedom.
Some possible defenses in prostitution criminal cases include:
You Never Meant to Engage in Prostitution
You cannot accidentally engage in a prostitution-related crime. All of these offenses require you to knowingly participate in the sex trade. In some cases, we can show that you did not intend to exchange sex for money or otherwise violate prostitution or solicitation laws.
You Were Mistaken for Someone Else
Mistaken identity is possible in many prostitution-related crimes. The police, prostitute, or victim identifies the wrong person, and you suddenly face accusations from someone you do not know and have never met. When this occurs, our team must present strong evidence to show what you were doing at the time of the alleged act. This could come from video evidence of your location, receipts, alibis, and more.
You Didn’t Exchange Money
When there is no money or valuables exchanged (and no evidence to show you promised to do so), it is difficult to build a case to show you engaged in either prostitution or solicitation. Instead, it is two adults meeting for consensual sex. When there is no money involved, no crime occurred.
This is a common strategy in some of these cases, depending on the circumstances and the evidence prosecutors have.
Evidence Doesn’t Support a Conviction
We could argue that the prosecution doesn’t have sufficient evidence to move forward with a criminal case. When this happens, we could convince the prosecution to drop the charges against you. This would make it so you never have to appear in court.
The Prosecution Can’t Prove Reasonable Doubt
To secure a guilty verdict, the prosecution must show that you committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
This requires showing:
- You offered or accepted money for sexual activity.
- The other party planned (or intended to perform) sexual activity in return.
- You acted knowingly and intentionally.
If the prosecution can’t prove even one of these elements, we could push for an acquittal or a reduction in the charges you face.
The Police Violated Your Rights
Even after your arrest, you have rights. When law enforcement officers violate these rights, it could affect the outcome of your case. For instance, the police could have used coercive or nefarious tactics to lure you into doing something you normally wouldn’t have.
Our attorney can learn what happened to ensure:
- The police had a warrant to conduct any search.
- The police stopped questioning you when you asked for an attorney.
- You received a free local call when you asked for it.
- An officer read you your Miranda rights upon arrest.
- The police did not use threats or intimidation to get you to talk.
If we can prove that law enforcement violated your rights, we could move to have some evidence in your case dismissed. Depending on the circumstances, we could even move to have the case itself thrown out.
The State’s Prostitution Laws and Possible Charges
You could face a wide range of charges if arrested for participating in prostitution in Phoenix. The charges the prosecution could use depend greatly on the circumstances, the available evidence, and other factors. As your attorneys, it is possible that we can reduce the severity of the charges against you as a part of your criminal defense.
Some charges related to a Phoenix prostitution arrest include:
Prostitution
Prostitution is the exchange of sexual activity or sex acts for compensation. This is generally a Class 1 misdemeanor under state law. A party accepting money or offering money for sex is prostitution.
Prostitution is illegal in 49 states, and the remaining state highly regulates the trade by requiring brothels to register and follow strict rules. In Phoenix, exchanging sex, oral sex, or other sex acts for money or valuables is a misdemeanor crime.
Trafficking
Child sex trafficking is one of the most serious accusations related to prostitution in Phoenix. Under state law, you could face life-altering consequences if convicted of this felony offense. Child sex trafficking can occur when an adult participates in an act of prostitution with a minor, encourages or coerces them to act as a prostitute, manages the prostitution of minors, solicits a sex act from a minor, and more.
Generally, the age of the child, the party’s criminal history, and the circumstances will determine how significant of a sentence they could face.
Pimping and Pandering
Pimping and pandering are two separate offenses regulated by the same law. Both are Class 5 felonies in Phoenix. Pimps manage, oversee, or operate houses of prostitution or individual prostitutes. Pandering is a crime committed when someone knowingly encourages, pressures, or coerces another party into an act of prostitution.
In many cases, someone engaged in pimping might also be guilty of pandering. These two actions often work together to keep prostitutes working in the sex trade. Our team can defend you against both crimes, if necessary.
Solicitation
Solicitation occurs when one person offers or promises money or something of value in exchange for sexual activity. Statewide, solicitation is not illegal. However, local laws in Phoenix make it a criminal offense.
Per Phoenix city codes, solicitation of prostitution is illegal.
To hold someone responsible for this Class 1 misdemeanor, the evidence must show:
- They knowingly offered money or valuables.
- They intended to engage in a sexual act or witness the other party engage in a sexual act.
The age of the other party matters. A misdemeanor charge of solicitation can quickly escalate to a serious felony offense if the individual knew the other party was a minor, should have known they were under 18, or if they were under 15.
Possible Consequences of Phoenix Prostitution Conviction
A prostitution-related conviction can hurt your career, reputation, and relationships. Society does not generally accept paying for sex or performing sex acts for money as a moral or wholesome activity, which can greatly affect your social life, including your marriage or another romantic relationship. Depending on the charges, you could also face serious consequences from the criminal justice system.
Prostitution and solicitation, the two most minor offenses, are generally Class 1 misdemeanors.
A sentence for this severity of crime could include:
- At least 15 consecutive days in jail
- Up to three years of probation
- A $2,500 fine
The most serious charges stemming from a prostitution arrest are related to child sex trafficking. When the child involved is under age 15, you could face a Class 2 felony conviction with enhanced penalties under the state’s dangerous crimes against children (DCAC) laws. For a first offense, state law could call for between 13 and 27 years in prison, extensive fines, probation, and mandatory inclusion on the sex offender registry.
Our criminal defense attorneys aim to help clients avoid the harshest penalties associated with these charges. When possible, we can clear your name and maintain your reputation and freedom. In some cases, we need to push for the best-case scenario, which could include negotiating a reduced charge, seeking a sentencing agreement, or taking other steps to prevent you from facing significant time behind bars.
What Should I Do if I Face Prostitution Charges in Phoenix?
If you’re facing the possibility of criminal charges in Phoenix, we recommend consulting our legal team as soon as possible. We need ample time to build a defense case and consider the charges against you. Building a solid criminal case isn’t something most firms can do the night before your hearing. Yet, we stand ready to help you regardless of where your case stands.
Here are some other considerations if you face prostitution-related charges:
- Refrain from risky activity. The prosecutor’s office will have a close eye on you. If it learns that you went to a strip club or attempted to engage in risky activity, this information could discredit your moral character.
- Do not contact the other party
. You may have a personal relationship with the other party in your case, and you may want to ask for their side of the story. This does not benefit you. If anything, it could complicate your case and generate evidence to hurt you.
Learn About Your Next Steps Today With Our Phoenix Prostitution Defense Team
Our team helps clients facing prostitution-related allegations in Phoenix. We know how the criminal justice process works and what goes into building a strong defense. We counter the evidence prosecutors present and present solid arguments in our client’s favor.
Contact our team to learn more about partnering with Gurion Legal. Dial (480) 800-0020 to begin.
