44 New Grand Jury Indictments

Really bad news. The Grand Jury has issued 44 new indictments, which include both customers and gals.

Arrest warrants being issued and about 12 arrests that I know of so far.

YOU NEED $5000 CASH bail to get out. It will  take many hours even after you have the bail.
They will NOT accept $100 bills. Only $20's and $50's. CASH ONLY !

There are not even interrogating those arrested from what I am being told.  They don't need to they have already been indicted by a Grand Jury.

Lawyers are charging $5000-$7500 retainer fees up front.

If you had any connection with DD you should have a lawyer on retainer you can call from jail and someone who can bring in $5000 cash. That is the hard facts on this witch hunt.

This is terrible and many gals simply do not have these kind of resources.

The "story" is probably being held from the media until most are arrested. But the indictments (without names until arrested) are now public.

The DA is going wild with in private consenting adult cases which in my view should be told to the media tying up Courts and police.

Even worse is guys being arrested in front of wives and children.

In one case the Phoenix officer was quite nice and polite.   When they were leaving the house in handcuffs a neighbor was walking by and the officer suggested just stand and talk to each other not have him paraded out to a police car in front of the neighbor.

One well known on TER customer is self surrendering with his lawyer tomorrow.

The photographer got out with his supportive mother than knows all getting the bail. He is understandably shaken and hadn't slept since arrested.  He is now home and recovering from the trauma of being arrested.

I continue to hope for lawyers that will fight the case but they already have a huge negative since many of the prior indicted 50 have admitted it was a criminal prostitution organization.

We need to rally in support against these laws and action by the District Attorney to go after these cases.  But having tried to fight the battle for over a decade now, I realize there is not much hope other than being at the mercy of our repressive laws and lack of freedoms that most of the rest of the world enjoys.

What steps can we take? Anyone with ideas, please chime in!
xoxo
Gina

-- Modified on 5/7/2009 7:21:04 AM

Most every group that has have had freedoms denied have fought back and made gains over time.  Women for the right to vote, blacks, gays/lesbians which had their Stonewall "we have had enough" to start their movement and more and more pressure to decrim pot.

But fighting for sexual freedoms is harder since with the attitudes in our culture its almost easier to come out of the closet being gay than it is to support in private consenting adult sexwork.

Getting the law changed or have local authorities not enforce best change is a voter referendum like SWOP did but without including street hookers which dooms their work.   But it would take a great deal of organization, money and expertise.

The other action is letter writing campaign to the Attorney General, Prosecutors office by citizens upset with how their tax dollars are used going after in private consenting adults. It is the DA's office that brings the charges to the Grand Jury and decides who to go after.  The police really can not be blamed they are just enforicing the unique to the U.S. law and the DA/AG makes decisions on what case to bring.

Than we can also try and fight the law itself which I have discussed zillion  of times as uncontitutioanl (Lawrence vs Texas), AZ law is vague (weird thing it it).

One of the biggest problems is what guys and gals do, admitting they pay for sex, or gals that advertise in a way that implies your paying for sex instead of time.  

There are ideas I am working with others on such as "We won't take it anymore" fund raiser for legal fees etc.   But it will be tough to find attorney that will actually fight the cases and related to DD is even harder to fight because of admissions they were a criminal enterprise by the principals and many of the gals.

We now have well over 100 gals and guys either indicted in the original case or the new one.

For some reason Phoenix AG/DA is on a wild witch hunt regarding consenting sexuality and after the DD first bust probably a lot of pressure on them to go after customers not just the gals by certain groups.

What is needed is a massive public response when the new busts hit the media about waste of public funds.  But I suspect other than those of us in the industry the silence from the public will be defeaning.  Most people are not willing to stand up for the sexual rights that most of the rest of the world enjoys... Private consenting adults, not street solicitation.

These laws are facially unconstitutional, but apparently no lawyers are bright enough to make the correct legal arguments.  Either that or they fear their own reps might be irreparably damaged by defending people of such moral seediness (TIC).

The underlying act itself IS legal.

If I go pick up a chick at a bar and we agree to go back to my place and #### each other silly - that is perfectly LEGAL.  

If I happen to walk up to some hot chick walking down the street and ask her if she'd be interested in giving me a B*J, that is also perfectly legal (also perfectly legal for her to slap me silly I might add).

So what's the difference between these unquestionably legal activities and the illegal activities?

MONEY.

If I were to walk up to that same chick on the street and she were to refuse my original B*J offer for free, then if I were to respond and say, well how about doing it for $50?  Now, all of a sudden, the SAME ACT is illegal???

YEP.

Every law must have a basis upon which it stands; more specifically, every law must have a valid constitutional basis on which to stand.

Traditionally, "prostitution" (& solicitation) laws have been based on moral authority.  That is, these activities have been presumed to be constitutional on the basis that state has the moral authority to regulate certain activities.

Do you see the contradiction?

The state has actually refused to regulate "consenting sexual conduct" between adults.  THAT is the underlying act and the state has implicitly acknowledged that it has no moral authority to regulate that conduct.

It therefore has no moral authority to regulate the same conduct simply because you introduce compensation into the equation.

That is the legal argument, and it is a sound one.

Note, however, that the state DOES have the authority to regulate the activity in terms of business licensing, and collecting taxes.

The State of Nevada has at least capitalized on the activity in that regard, to a limited extent (brothels actually are not taxed, per se, but then again no other legitimate business activities are taxed either in Nevada).  

If you ever find yourself in legal trouble, find a creative lawyer who can make good faith constitutional arguments - the low budget state attorneys are usually not willing to fight back (and often are intellectually incapable of doing so).

Are they only going after who was on the published list?

It does not appear from customer list, although my gosh that could be the next wave to hit.

There was a suspect list from the bust that may have not been directly related to the customer list.  Actually the majority of the new charges are escorts, phone girl, driver or those more directly connected and boardroom guys.

I can't say for sure but doesn't seem to be mostly from customer list.

Nationwide Grass roots protest like the tax protest?  I doubt any one would show up due to being noticed??  At least it would catch the news.

the desert divas bust had me feeling like a cat on a hot tin roofie. (jumpy)

i actually had a client proudly tell me he was involved in politics and showed me his mccain button.

AFTER the session.

im very sure he read my blog.

he was way too smug.
LOL.

effer


dave's website is a great place to start.. he has a wealth of information on the topic.

another good organization is www.swopusa.org ... swop has great international support and they're the people to contact if you need someone picketing a courthouse.

unfortunately the activists are normally too busy fighting with each other to ever really be any threat to the opposition.

children are not going to win this battle.

Chan 5, 12 and AZ Central are reporting on arrest of MSCO detention officer related to DD case.

And "The Sheriff's Office said Lybarger was apprehended as part of a "second wave" of arrests tied to the Desert Divas investigation.

A Phoenix Police spokesman said the department could not comment Thursday.

Six ringleaders with the vast organization pleaded guilty last month to felony charges related to the criminal enterprise. The two-year investigation has led to more than 50 arrests from the East Coast to Phoenix and authorities say they've effectively dismantled an prostitution ring that brought in more than $18 million in the last six years."

its times like this my innate dislike of middlemen is a good thing.

good luck to everyone involved i hope it all works out.

The Sheika thought we--as a community—had finally risen above all the internal boardroom drama, but once again, here it is! The scam just won’t go away.

The board room was real, it was wrong, it hurt the business, it was demeaning to the profession, and it was disrespectful to the ladies. These guys are sleaze and scum.

Clients who think they can exchange a good revue for discount sex; and, then, threaten the escort/s with a bad revue if she doesn’t comply are not appreciated here. They seriouly compromise the integrity of the business. They upset a lot of people. Wouldn't their lives would be better if they’d go away?

Enshallha,

Sheika Fatima
[email protected]


-- Modified on 5/7/2009 5:47:26 PM

5/7/09 - Maricopa County Andrew Thomas  just had a news conference about the broken admitted criminal prostitution enterprise. Talks about all the ring leaders as well as "VIP Customers all pleaded guilty to  felonies.   Customers that did more than just johns but they wrote reviews on website which DD linked to in exchange for reduced rates for the illegal services. (that is why felonies and misdemeanor prostitution)

Investigation underway and additional charges possible.

DD was a criminal operation that exploited young women and made millions in profits.  The criminal syndicate is broken and they will soon be leading a very different lifestyle behind bars.

He congratulates the great work of the team to break up this criminal enterprise.

Introduces partnership with Phoenix PD introduces the Commander, and various other officers, the prosecutor ("one of our offices best").  

It was important that the community be protected and send the message that we will take on these criminal syndicates.

Link to his public relations "got those dangerous criminals" speech is at http://www.kpho.com/video/19213585/index.html and will probably be on all the major news networks.

The dangerous criminal speech was not today but earlier.   But still shows how he is making this out to be such a big wonderful thing to protect the community from those nasty big breasts and consenting adults in private which hunt but spinning it on as usual as a big dangerous crime ring.

Todays date came up under it so I thought it was today but appears is old news.

However; I am a mother of three and until the last year I could never speak for myself out of fear that those who deemed I was "socially unacceptable" would take my children away.

well guess what?!?  My oldest is a LEGAL ADULT, so she can now take custody over my two younger bebe's and I can attempt to speak more on an advocasy level.

JUST SO YA KNOW....  I WILL NOT SUPPORT, someone whose best interests and promotions are OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES,

if you don't like that well, then....

do you really need to know what i think???  LMAO...


let's see


F


U

XOXO
JAZZ



btw.....  I will no longer see anyone who does not have TWO VALID provider references.....

and, of course, I deem who is VALID

-- Modified on 5/7/2009 10:50:19 PM

>JUST SO YA KNOW....  I WILL NOT SUPPORT, someone whose best interests and promotions are OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES,

I hope your not referring to me.  I've been fighting for U.S. freedoms for over a decade.

Yes I use Canada and the U.K as examples and enjoy Canada for other than escorts for what I enjoy that simply are not offered in the U.S.

More than escorts I enjoy nude-reverse massage and full contact nude lap dancing which I enjoyed in Phoenix until the 1999 law change.

I fought hard against the changes, speaking at City Council, public hearings and on Talk radio.  

I am fighting to have what I enjoy the most in the U.S., keep people save from our repressive laws and show they are almost unique to the U.S. not the rest of the world regarding in private consenting adult sexwork.

Any independent or agency that keeps client list are stupid.  Not a new idea to not keep a list.  Just common sense

Brothels are indeed taxed in Nevada, as are all businesses.  Nevada does not have a state income tax, but they tax the living bejesus out of businesses.  For example, casinos file monthly, quarterly and annual tax returns (NCG filings to insiders), and brothels pay enough to the state to support most of the rural communities.

Businesses also pay a weird tax based on employee payroll.  I'll skip the specifics, because I doubt anyone really cares unless they want to relocate a business there.

You do make a very good point (several in fact) about the government resisting prostitution because they don't get their fair share.  The morality issue is mostly (IMHO) a ploy to conservative voting blocks, but the money side is the 800 pound gorilla.

ill never forget the time i got a call on an old cell phone from some girls boyfriend asking me why my number showed up on her phone.
i told him i had no idea and promptly bought a new cell phone.
disposable prepaid phones are a godsend to the hobby for sure.

if your going to call one group out for price manipulation then you should call the other side of the equation out as well.
the boardroom came into being because of the rampant price fixing that was going on among several different ladies and agencies.


im not naming names since i dont need to for the purposes of this post.
I must say however if your going to ride on a group of guys who really did start out with the best of intentions then you need to offer equal derision to the other side as well.

fair is fair

i was never a member of the boardroom i did however belong to the group that preceded it and know enough of the players on both sides that i know what was done when by whom, and what the motivations were.

There are so many angles to this issue, it feels overwhelming to think that any progress can be made in changin these laws. But, political movements often succeed because the proper circumstances and the proper angle on the subjet come together.
What you have said DAVE, "What is needed is a massive public response when the new busts hit the media about waste of public funds." Seems to me to be a very good point that many people outside the hobby might go with. In my case I cannot share my view of sexwork (being a good thing) to people in my circle, because of the 'moral' issue. However, I tried the conversation point a few time recently about LE wasing it's time an money, to many people. I was amazed that they all agreed it was a waste and they did not support it.
It seemed similar to the medical marijuana issue, in that while these folks wound never even consider doing it, they think it should be decriminalized and LE should go after what they call "real criminals."
Somethings are only crime because they are illegal. I'm finding more poeple just want the government to back off.
The RELIGIOUS VOCAL MINORITY does put pressure on DA's to enforce morals just like they pressure legislators to right the laws. They are, however, still a minority. These days the majority are more concerned with money and government waste.

Pardon if folks have heard this from me before.

But when Sheriff Joe did his bust Bill, my co-founder of libchrist.com who goes to a very traditional conservative church told me he overheard the bust discussed and everyone he heard expressed the opinion that it was a waste of resources to go after in private prostitution.

This from conservative Christians !

The public is much more on our side than the laws or the DA.

Likewise the Calf group CP4 (Citizens for Privacy) hired a totally independent pollster and came up with the same results, of not wasting money going after in private consenting adult prostitution.

Not to mention legal in almost all the world with no significant issues and no big deal. I am not referring to streets but of course in private consenting adults.