Maryland Solicitation Lawyer
A Maryland solicitation lawyer represents clients charged with procuring, or trying to procure, sexual acts in exchange for money. There are actually a variety of different crimes you could be charged with if prosecutors believe you attempted to exchange something of value for sexual acts. Many of the offenses require a subjective judgment about your behavior.
If the prosecutor cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you violated solicitation laws, you should not be found guilty. Your criminal defense attorney can help you to decide whether to negotiate a plea or go to trial and can try to prevent the prosecutor from proving the case against you.
Laws on Solicitation in Maryland
In Maryland, offenses related to prostitution are defined in Subtitle 3 of Title 11 of the Criminal Code. Within this subtitle, Maryland Code Section 11-301 defines certain behaviors related to buying and selling sex that the state has made illegal. These include:
- Prostitution, which is defined to include any the performance of any type of sexual conduct, sex acts, or vaginal intercourse for hire. Anything done for sexual gratification can be a sexual act for purposes of prostitution offenses.
- Solicitation is defined as urging, inducing, advising, encouraging, requesting, or commanding.
- Assignation is defined as making an appointment for prostitution, setting an engagement for prostitution, or any act in furtherance of setting an engagement or an appointment.
These laws are very broad. If prosecutors think you are encouraging or advising someone to engage in sex for hire, you could be charged even if you do not have any actual sexual contact with a prostitute. Hiring a prostitute for your friend, offering sex for money, or calling a prostitute and arranging to meet could all possibly lead to criminal charges. Call and speak with an experienced Maryland solicitation attorney to discuss your case and possible defense strategies.
Prostitution and Solicitation Offenses in Maryland
Code Section 11-306 makes it a misdemeanor offense to:
- Participate in prostitution by offering money for sex or asking for money for sex.
- Own, operate, or occupy a building used for prostitution.
- Let someone into a structure or building so sex for hire can occur.
- Allow a structure under your control to be used for sex for hire.
- Procure or solicit, or offer to procure or solicit, assignation or prostitution.
You can sometimes face multiple charges for the same actions you take. For example, you could be charged with soliciting and with letting someone into a structure for prostitution if you hire a sex worker to come to your home in order to pay money for sex acts.
Conviction for a misdemeanor offense under Code Section 11-306 can lead to up to a year incarceration and a fine up to $500, or both.
A Maryland Solicitation Lawyer Can Help
Prosecutors have to prove you broke the law, and it can sometimes be difficult for the prosecutor to show your behavior crossed a line. For example, if you call an escort service, this does not necessarily mean that you were trying to solicit sex for hire; you may have just wanted company. Your Maryland solicitation lawyer will try to undermine the case against you to introduce reasonable doubt. Defenses such as entrapment can also be raised to try to avoid conviction.
You need to respond aggressively to charges of solicitation, as even being charged can be embarrassing and can affect your relationships. Get the legal help you need from a Maryland solicitation attorney to provide you with advice on how to handle your case.