If you have been ticketed or charged with the crime of solicitation in Michigan, then you are undoubtedly feeling a series of emotions, from embarrassment to anger and everything in between. Because solicitation is a very serious prostitution-related offense you must decide if you could benefit from the assistance of an experienced solicitation attorney.
A Michigan solicitation attorney has defended clients accused of a variety of prostitution and solicitation offenses and understands just how devastating such accusations can be for the defendant and their family. A compassionate and nonjudgmental criminal defense attorney will fight to clear your name.
Offense of SolicitationSolicitation generally consists of the trading of a sexual act for payment. It is considered solicitation to ask or invite to engage in prostitution. The law requires that two persons be involved in the solicitation. A person charged with solicitation therefore must have approached another person and offered to pay for a sex act, whether the interaction occurred in public or in private, or through word or gesture.
A first-offense solicitation charge in Michigan is considered a misdemeanor. It is punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 in fine. This is the same punishment that applies to the offense of prostitution itself. A second solicitation conviction is a misdemeanor that carries an enhanced penalty of up to one year in jail and $1000 in fines. Subsequent solicitation convictions after a second conviction are treated as felonies and carry correspondingly harsh penalties, including significant potential jail time.
Felony OffensesMore serious felony offenses related to solicitation and prostitution have an additional element that is related to an elevation in the criminal activity and often involves more than two people. Examples of this include pimping and pandering, inducing a woman to become a prostitute, transporting a prostitute, involving minors in prostitution, and operating a house of prostitution.
Possible DefensesA solicitation attorney in Michigan can help by investigating the circumstances of the arrest and determining whether any potential defenses to the charges apply. Some of the most common defenses to solicitation and prostitution charges include if a person unknowingly committed the offense, did not actually engage in any sexual conduct, or did not exchange payment for the sexual contact.
How an Attorney Can HelpA skilled Michigan solicitation attorney will work to make sure that you are afforded due process and that your constitutional rights were protected. They will work to ensure that you are respected from the time you were arrested and throughout the entire investigation process. If a your rights were violated, any evidence obtained may not be admissible in court during prosecution.
Your attorney will also investigate the circumstances that led to your arrest, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the prosecutor’s case, and will determine if the arrest was supported by the necessary probable cause. Your solicitation attorney will also determine the credibility of witnesses and weigh how their testimony will present to a jury.
No matter what type of solicitation charge you are facing, a compassionate and discreet Michigan attorney who handles prostitution and solicitation cases frequently will understand that being charged with this crime can be upsetting and humiliating for both the accused defendant and their family. An attorney will work to restore your reputation in your community and have the charges against you reduced or dismissed.