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If a Flagler County sheriff’s deputy or St. Augustine police officer arrests you and charges you with prostitution, there are actions your attorney can take to influence the outcome. An arrest is not a conviction. Florida includes a wide range of acts under its prostitution statute, but we offer a wide range of defenses to combat the prosecutor’s allegations. If you have been trafficked, we are also always ready to help you.
The highly skilled defense attorneys from the Law Office of Jason K.S. Porter, P.A. understand that it is stressful and overwhelming to be transported to jail, but we know the right moves to minimize the threatened consequences. If you have been released on bail or have been granted one call from jail, make it to our experienced St. Augustine prostitution lawyer. Your initial consultation is free.
How Does Florida Define Prostitution?
According to Florida Statutes § 796.07, prostitution involves your body participating in a sexual act in exchange for money or other valuables. The state expounds on this definition to criminalize ancillary acts, including:
- Owning or maintaining a brothel
- Procuring a prostitute for a customer, often known as a pimp
- Receiving a person for the purpose of committing a lewd act or paying with money or other valuables and committing a sexual act, often known as a john
- To knowingly transport prostitutes to an assignation location
- Aiding or abetting any act affiliated with prostitution
- Offering to commit prostitution if you are 18 or older
Charges under Florida law do not necessarily involve the completion of a sex act, the state’s contribution to being tough on the oldest recorded crime. The exchange of valuables has also been prosecuted for more than money. It can include a meal, a place to sleep, jewelry, and in one Florida case, a fishing rod. Legal problems? Pick Porter!™ as your St. Augustine prostitution attorney.
Prostitution Defenses
We tailor your defense to your circumstances. We work to get charges dropped if you are trafficked, because you are a victim. If law enforcement illegally searches you and seizes evidence, your constitutional rights are violated, and charges against you should be dropped. Officers may entrap you if you are pushed into doing something you would not have ordinarily done, and you may have an alibi and be the subject of mistaken identity. You may be in a relationship, and the valuable exchanged for a sex act is a gift and no business of the legal system.
The prosecutor must prove your crime beyond a reasonable doubt, and a prostitution lawyer from the Law Office of Jason K.S. Porter, P.A. in St. Augustine is skilled at sowing appropriate doubt.
Penalties for Prostitution Convictions
While some prostitution convictions related to procuring and transporting minors for sex come with heavy penalties and long incarcerations, generally, a first-time prostitution conviction for an adult results in between 10 and 15 days in jail. The second conviction leads to 30 days in jail, 60 days in jail for a third offense, and 180 days in jail for a fourth offense. For repeat offenders after a fourth conviction, jail time can increase to up to a year, with a $1,000 fine. If the solicitation for prostitution or assignation occurs near a children’s gathering place, such as a playground or school, or a church, an additional fine of $2,500 could be levied. Let a St. Augustine prostitution defense lawyer assess your case for free and get you the best outcome.
A St. Augustine Prostitution Attorney Can Help Resolve Your Case
The attorneys at the Law Office of Jason K.S. Porter, P.A, understand that an arrest does not tell your entire story, but we want you to tell it to us during your free consultation. You may have been trafficked, or trusted a partner who betrayed you, or been desperate and hungry. We will try to negotiate a reduction or dismissal, and we will defend you if your case goes to trial. A St. Augustine prostitution lawyer is your advocate for a brighter future. Problems? Pick Porter!™