Okay I had my first run in with the law today. I'm very confused and the more info I try to find the more confused I get. What kind of deal is this ticket for escorting without a license? It doesn't sound to horrific but who knows whats up their sleeves. Is anyone familiar with this ? Please advise if so. I was told it's like a speeding ticket, show up to court and pay the fine. Somehow I just don't believe that it's going to be that simple. It never is when law enforcements involved, at least that has not been my experience.

Would like to know the circumstances of how you got the citations and what state or city you are in. Some of our  brilliant escorts with legal background can probably add info. But to answer your question, in an effort to raise tax money and keep track of escorts who the law know are doing more than providing a date to an event, some wise ass decided let's hit them with a business tax.

  Most businesses are charged a"doing business tax" on a local level  (the city you reside in or work in) which requires you file for a business license.This  is the first step in getting you to declare your income so you can be taxed. Some states or cities, knowing that the escort will undervalue their cash income will have a hefty "doing business tax" that is so high ($800 to $1200) as to discourage escorts from residing in their state. Other places are more realistic and in line with usual business licenses in the less than $200 area. Long story short, pay the fine, register and file income tax forms if required, which in your case cannot be proven but only estimated. Welcome to the world of fucking taxes! On the plus side you are now a certified worker at an honest trade, just don't mention that your job includes sex for pay.



-- Modified on 6/10/2011 6:36:27 AM

The problem here is that we do not know if this was a bust or a license issue. Your advice is useful but why are  you attacking me, did you have a bad day? I have heard this problem before, based on the scant information;  if the citation was for offering escort services without a license, and not for prostitution, then if that is the case there is no way to escape the  fine unless one chooses to give up escorting. However I did ask the writer to give me more info. The writer did not say she was busted for prostitution. if you read the advice it was based on that assumption. If this was a bust i would advise differently. I will try to find out more details in the meantime and will respond at that time.

Was it my buddy who said "can't we just all get along?" Maybe you are unaware that attorneys are expensive and that consults are just the beginnings of big fees that follow them, not every issue requires 200 dollar plus per hour advisers unless you can afford them, that is why I do not push people to attorneys unless they need them. Although I welcome you participation, please consider a more moderate tone with your criticism.  









-- Modified on 6/11/2011 8:14:30 AM

-- Modified on 6/11/2011 9:48:45 AM

the local ordinance is used so LE does not have to prove a prostitution violation & is often handled by a local government official.  IMHO, No escort in her right mind will get such a "License" which does not permit illegal acts, but only allows social escorting.   But by so doing would paint a huge bulleye on your back...  and require your legal name, address & such.    
The end result of this type of ordinance, is the escort moves to another jurisdiction, which is (in my opinion) it's intended outcome.   As long as no admission of illegal activitiy is required, then there is no down side to paying the fine...  and moving to that other location where there is no such ordinance.

you received the "ticket," and by that I mean the state and/or city/county ordinance involved, the only advice that you should consider from anyone is

"consult a licensed attorney in your state."

I jusst read the information in this link.  What an increditable resource!  Thank you for this post, philogyny!

I contacted a fine legal minded and legal trained escort, Miss JennaPurrLatte who has posted instructions on her wonderful web site at
    http://www.anabangbang.com/Operation_Luau.html

She says  that this summons is like speeding ticket when issued in your city of Phoenix, each city has different rules or treatments so check her site out. Where you are it is like a speeding ticket and will go off your record in two years, it is a violation, not creating a a criminal record.

If you want to pay it you do not need an attorney, (I sure got hit for saying that before but it is true); but you will need to get an escort license as I said in my original answer when I was unaware of where you got the citation or if it was for a bust or just a business license. In California, for example, this is a pro forma requirement for anyone working out of a home or office, i.e. a business license..

You can fight it if you wish, in that case see an attorney or if there were procedural errors you might consider alternatives. A number of girls including Jenna have represented themselves with success. Since this is not an arrest you cannot avail yourself of a public defender. A second violation can lead to a more severe penalty.Be aware that this is not a prostitution charge and if you get the license (provided they will issue it) you can still escort without problems if you are very careful. Phoenix is not busting escorts at the moment, they have moved on to the massage parlors.

Check out Jenna's site, it has loads of info for escorts and is really terrific.  

-- Modified on 6/12/2011 8:22:16 AM

All of the thanks should really go to Jenna. She's put in a lot of effort and hard work (even beyond the page I've linked) to help providers share experiences, information, and knowledge to try to make some aspects of this business less risky. She has strong opinions that not everyone will agree with, but she's earned them with experience. I find it admirable that she is active in this way despite the possibility that it may make her more of a target. I enjoy reading her point of view in multiple venues.

Gratitude and thanks to Jenna for all her hard work!!!


-- Modified on 6/12/2011 10:38:26 AM

Okay heres what happened. A gentleman called siad his name was Gilbert and wanted to schedule an appt. I had a very funny feeling and my intuition is usually right on the money. It was. I opened the hotel door in a phx az local hotel and immediately he identified himself as Phx PD He said that if I cooperated that I would recieve a citation and they would leave. So I did cooperate. I answered their questions and they wrote me a ticket for escorting without a license and then left. They took my phone and my laptop and said I could have them back after I show up to court and pay the fine. Just like traffic court.

Att. Milf Kelly--how much is the fine? I wonder on what grounds they took your computer and phone. I think you might have refused them entrance and they should have had a warrant to seize anything but i can imagine you were top shocked and scared to resist. Please let us know the result and the fees. i hope Jenna's site was helpful and you might contact her for additional guidance. Hope all works out for you LB

a licensed attorney experienced in this area for advice, and should NOT rely on the well-intentioned advice she has received on this Board, or a layperson's web site.

     We now know that the encounter with LE took place in Arizona which is the state where the stakes are the highest for prostitution-related offenses - 15 days mandatory jail time for first offenses, no "in the presence" warrantless arrest rule,  and it gets worse from there.

       I'm lost that they would confiscate her laptop and phone for a pure escort licensing offense and, unless these items are clean, they may now have probable cause to charge her and who knows who else with prostitution offenses. Further, depending on the time of the arrest and other factors, she may been guilty of a Class I misdemeanor under state law for operating an escort agency as it is illegal to be a paid non-sexual paid companion between midnight and dawn.

    So there is no guaranty that this will end up - just pay your ticket" like the guy said.

So I repeat -the only prudent advice is

"consult a licensed attorney in your area."

There was a post on this board a while back by a provider who was cited for a number of City Ordinance Violations...  not for prostitution.   As I recall the provider was just offering massages.  

I also see a local Massage Practitioner...  who does business from home.  She has a spare room set up as a mini-spa.   She gets inspections from the city.  Must have her Professional License (she noted that the top she was wearing would have her cited as it was too low cut) posted.  Exit signs, fire alarms, front door not to be locked during business hours (another violation).   One must also be buzzed in the outside door making intrusions less likely.  Because she does indeed have a Professional License...  she gets away with it BUT she is clearly risking a lot by the violations.   She also incurrs considerable expense in having the location modified to meet local codes.  
Fortunately, she's not high profile...  so the busts that have happened in the area seem to target easier targets.

changes everything.   She certainly wants to recover these items but I'd not go unrepresented.  She can not know what the Police have done with her devises but must assume the information in them has been copied.   If nothing else, LE possesion of her devises is coersion not to fight it lest they use the information in them.   I don't know the legal grounds but she certainly should not go unrepresented.  Even if she ends up pleading & paying the fine...  representation will hopefully prevent any funny business.

and it could be that the phone & laptop were "just being held as her personal property"...   But there is the intimidation factor at work here.
I do hope the OP will let us know the outcome eventually.

Not many detectives on this board, eh


HH

It's the right area and Jenna knows her stuff.


HH

contact a licensed attorney in her state. I did note the Arizona profile befroe I posted but that did not affect my answer.

        You cannot assume that she was busted in Arizona simply because  her profile places her in that state. For all we knew from the OP, she could have received that citation in California on a visit. Further, the OP does not tell us whether it was a violation of a state law or a city ordinance. Even if you assume she was in Arizona, you would not know the city.

    She now has supplied some of that info but in the OP she did not. So giving advice without knowing the jurisdiction is more dangerous than giving no advice at all.

    Back to detective school for you as you missed the first rule of every good detective - assume nothing.

Update : Had 1st court appearance. I plead not guilty and have been assigned a public defender. Wow , doeasn't seem as simple as a traffic ticket! It holds up to a 2500 fine and can carry up to a 3 year probation sentence! For a misdemeanor (criminal)??? A little bit worried for sure! Let you know what attorney says after I speak to them.
PS Heres a thought maybe they wanna slam ya for tax evasion as its a lot stiffer of a penalty then a solicitation charge, right?? Just sayin!

Phoenix ticketed her for not having an escort license and released her.
Her ticket is written on a "TRAFFIC COMPLAINT" form, same as mine was 10 years ago.

She confirmed the information I wrote in my previous post in this thread regarding the licensing in Phoenix.  You have to first be approved as an escort bureau and then license yourself as an escort.

To get approved as an escort bureau, you must have an office that is zoned for commercial purposes and it differs by city but some cities require approval from the board of supervisors and blah blah blah, long story short, forget about it.   I have posted some of the ridiculous licensing regulations from cities across the nation here.   http://www.sextraffickingvictims.org/forum/escort-licensing/

If anyone wants to research more cities for me and either post them on the site or email them to me, I'd appreciate the help. . I'm trying to consolidate years worth of research onto that site but time, time, time gets shorter every day.

The escort said she will update me after court.  
I told her to tell the prosecutor she needs time to consult an attorney so that she could get another 30 days, then she could write a letter to the court and possibly get the charge dismissed before the next court date, but she plans to just pay the fine and be done with escorting.  

She said she was busted at her incall so I updated that on the guide LB referred you to.

All surveys recieved lately on escortdrama.com have been from backpage ads.
 I have 3 or 4 I still need to post.  (I've been on a much needed vacation and totally slacking)

And the girl that just called me was advertising on Backpage.

They make it impossible to get a license.
It's expensive and the requirements are too ridiculous for an indy.

You first have to be approved as an escort bureau... then you can submit an application for an escort license.

her summons probably has some, if not all of these charges

no escort license
no escort bureau license
no escort id card
advertising as an escort without a license

at your arraignment, the prosecutor will offer to drop all but one, for which you will be fined.  most cities are at $1000 in arizona right now, I think.   you will not get a public defender unless one of the charges is prostitution because a public defender is only available iff you are facing jail time (which is why I believe the mandatory jail sentence in arizona is actually a good thing).

Please do let me know if you have a different experience so that I may correct any mistakes.
Thank you.

by the way, i did plead guilty to an escort license violation in phoenix about 10 years ago.. .. I passed an employment background check for the maricopa county superior court 2 years later.  The H/R dept confirmed my criminal history came up clean.

HH

anyone around the valley that has some understanding about this stuff. Like JennaPurLatte?

If you can, PM some locals and see if anyone can refer you to someone.

Kelly, if you've never been into the system in Maricopa before, DO NOT trust your own understanding of the statutes. People get into trouble because they think that;s how the law works. A statuye is written by legislature, but it's going to be case law that give the 'interpretation.'

Be careful of Public Defenders. So many of them are just trying to get the cases pushed through by having you cop to some lesser charge.


Good luck

notice the key phrase "up to"
the prosecutor tells you the max... you are now frightened.
feeling a lil bit panic..
we got some scary sounding prosecutors here... everybody feels a lil panic after their arraignment.

next hearing the public defender tells you he got you a GREAT deal. .. He might throw in a story about how he just kicked the prosecutor's ass, they like to toot their horns like that.... Smile and look at him with wide eyes to show him how impressed you are to have won such a fine legal representative.

city of phoenix fines you $1000
city of chandler fines you $1000
city of scottsdale fines you $1000

I dont know the other cities.
It's not a deal.... That's what they fine you, attorney or no attorney. ... But you lucky girl, this will be your absolute luckiest day ever when your public defender tells you about the great deal he just got for you.

$1000 fine.

I only know of 1 girl getting probation on top of the fine..... it was 1 year.... she was the girl who paid an attorney $3k. .. city of chandler court.. my fave lil temperamental judge morales.

she listened to her attorney... i dont blame her, she had alot of money invested in him but the undercover cop never got the agreeement he needed and he contradicted himself in the police report.  i know him and he wouldnt have shown up for court if she had just held her ground instead of letting them scare her into pleading guilty. .. she couldve gotten the whole case dismissed.

Good job getting another 30 days.
I'd write a letter and mail it into the addrss on the ticket.

it takes 3 weeks for them to respond so you have to get it into the mail quick if you want it dismissed before your next court date.
make sure to put your complaint # on it.

that is just what *I* would do.
but I know you won't listen to me and you shouldn't.... I'm just an escort and maybe I dont know what the hell I'm talking about.

So, wait and see for yourself.... It's ok, you still got time because you were smart.

Go to your next court date... listen to the blah blah the public defender will tell you about how the judge *could* sentence you to all that probation and the huge fine.... he will try to finish the job of scaring you .. . . and on top of telling you the MAXIMUM possible sentence (he wont mention that certain conditions have to be met in order for the judge to sentence you to the maximum) .. ...   but he will tell you that:

1. this is a hard ass judge
2. the prosecutor wants to really pursue this case
3.  the plea deal ($1000 fine and no probation)  is a limited time offer and so great you better take it before the prosecutor changes his mind.

lie, lie, lie

will he be offering you any pearls of wisdom about how to defend yourself against the charges ?
yeppers.. right after the tooth fairy pays you a visit.

will he point to all the holes in the prosecution's case against you ?
sure, hellloooo santa claus.

discuss any possible motions you could file ??
hey there easter bunny, how you doin ?

No, he will make you think you are drowning in a sea of guilt and then he will throw you a life raft .... Most people are so happy to take that plea deal, so relieved they got off easy,  they just walk out of the courtroom thinking shew, that was a close one.

He's an attorney... a shark.
It's not a deal. . . It's how they get you to sink yourself.  ok ?

you can tell him that you want time to think about the deal.... .. tell him you know it's a great deal but you are scared about having a criminal record and want to talk to your mama before signing anything...... .. dont forget to give him those wide-eyes... confused, scared but in awe of his remarkable ability to rescue you from this pending disaster ........ he will tell you to wait while he goes to "talk to the prosecutor" (this is shark code for snort a line) and when he returns with a big smile and a sniff,  he will tell you that he is sooo damn good, he was able to convince the prosecutor into giving you another 30 days..

its just another good cop/bad cop routine.
i see my jackass public defender doing it to people ALL THE FREAKING TIME cuz he hasn't figured out how much i LOOOOVE being in court, and thinks it's punishment to make me wait all day.. . ... LOL, I used to spend all day every day in court so it's like a reunion with an old friend for me.

(something about the wood they use, its so smooth and soft, it's like cool silk to touch and there's a sweet smell to it... i think they use that same wood in every courtroom)  

I got court next week.... I'm thinking a skirt with no panties and maybe I can get to feel that wood on my bare butt. . . . shit, aint no maybe baby, i'm definitely gonna be nailing that, dayum.

If it feels as good as I think it will feel, I just might have to be bad for real.

write the freaking letter.... from your heart to the judge. .. don't lie or play games, you won't fool a judge, you will just insult their intelligence.
put it in the mail with your complaint # on it... .the address is at the bottom of the "traffic complaint" form they use to issue a "ticket" for violating the city code... ...    its not a crime.. its a violation.

if they told you the truth, you would be more work for them.

 i'm not saying it will get your case dismissed, i'm just saying its your only chance of getting it dismissed and if you're just going to plead guilty at your next hearing anyway, you are not risking anything.  

the "deal" will still be there. . and by the way, you can make payments on the $1000 fine.

WAIT... you're getting a public defender for an escort license violation ?
never mind.   i dont know nothing about no bullshit.

I do know you can't get a public defender unless the charge against you carries a possible jail sentence, which means you got a prostitution charge unless you got 3 prior convictions on the escort license violation within the past 2 years.   You want help ?  Tell the truth.

Thanks for all  ytour advice and help on this matter. I will keep you updated.

Okay I am telling the truyh. I got the citation. I have never recieved a ticket like this or for this before. I do have a background but nothing to do with this as I have only been doing this for 1 year. I will wwwwrite the letter you suggested. But why did they appoiont an public defender if it doesnt carry a jail term? I am confused.

As long as you were not charged with prostitution there is no mandatory jail time attached to it.
Go to court ask for a public defender and take a nice deep breath.

Ok its all over now. Went to court and my public defender said, "Hmm city must need money because we don't see many of these tickets". The fine was 250.oo and thats it. The judge ordered the police to return my items anddone. The pd did tell me they are working on a big case like desert divas but this one involves a massage parlor. No names mentioned though. So thanks for all your advise I much appreciate your time and thoughts!!

Sincerely,
Kelly XO