Pimping and Pandering
Pimping in California is a serious offense. If you are under investigation for pimping, do not speak to the police about the allegations. Consult with a qualified criminal defense attorney immediately.
Los Angeles criminal defense attorney lawyer Jerod Gunsberg is experienced in defending against charges of prostitution, pimping and pandering. Mr. Gunsberg is up to speed on the tactics used by law enforcement to build pimping cases against people and knows how prosecutors position these cases. Because he knows how these cases go. he also knows how to defend them.
California’s Pimping Laws
Over the past few years, there has been increased enforcement in pimping cases. Both local police and federal agencies are now well-funded to combat human trafficking related offenses. Pimping is one of those offenses. Unfortunately, police and prosecutors have used the broad language in California’s pimping laws to categorize a wide range of conduct as pimping. More and more, pimping cases are being filed against people who in the past would never have been accused of pimping.
Modern pimping statutes came into law with the stereotypical pimp in mind: someone who “turns girls out” into working as prostitutes, profits off of them, only shares a fraction of the income with them, and keeps control of them through violence and fear. The reality of today’s situation is far different. Often this is not a matter of people working as escorts or prostitutes under force or fear. These are consenting adults who know what they’re getting into. The person charged with pimping may not really be a pimp at all. It may be someone who assists with putting up ads on a website for a fee, it may be someone who agrees to work as a driver, or provide security. Unfortunately, the law does not take any of these grey areas into account. With the pressure on police agencies and prosecutors to aggressively pursue pimping cases, anything that’s even remotely close to pimping gets filed.
California Penal Code Section 266
California’s pimping law can be found in California Penal Code Section 266. A pimping conviction is a felony that carries a mandatory state prison sentence of at least three years. The maximum is six years. If a minor is involved, the punishment is even more severe. While a pimping conviction cannot be reduced to a misdemeanor, there are related misdemeanors which can sometimes be negotiated. For example, California Penal Code Section 653.23 is “assisting or supervising a prostitute.” This is a far less serious charge; it’s a misdemeanor and may not carry any jail time.
Here’s the bottom line: Pimping prosecutions are relentless these days. These cases are not just going to go away and need to be aggressively defended by an experienced criminal defense attorney who can deal with the police and prosecutors, and fight back.
If you or a loved one is charged with a pimping, pandering or prostitution, do not hesitate to contact criminal defense attorney Jerod Gunsberg in Los Angeles at (323) 633-3423 for a confidential consultation about your case or get in touch via the secure contact form on this page. Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call Jerod. You’ll see that he knows what he’s talking about.