If you have been arrested for the crime of Prostitution, call experienced criminal defense lawyer Max Gorby at (323) 477-2819.

• California Penal Code 647 — Disorderly Conduct and Prostitution

Prostitution. “[1] A person solicited another person to engage in any act of prostitution; and [2] That person did so with the specific intent to engage in an act of prostitution.”

California Penal Code 647 — Disorderly conduct. “Every person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor: (b) Who solicits or who agrees to engage in or who engages in any act of prostitution. A person agrees to engage in an act of prostitution when, with specific intent to so engage, he or she manifests an acceptance of an offer or solicitation to so engage, regardless of whether the offer or solicitation was made by a person who also possessed the specific intent to engage in prostitution. No agreement to engage in an act of prostitution shall constitute a violation of this subdivision unless some act, in addition to the agreement, is done within this state in furtherance of the commission of an act of prostitution by the person agreeing to engage in that act. As used in this subdivision, “prostitution” includes any lewd act between persons for money or other consideration.”

CALJIC 16.420 – Prostitution. (“In order to prove this crime, each of the following elements must be proved: [1] A person engaged in an act of prostitution; and [2] The person did so willfully.]”

“Prostitution” is engaging in [sexual intercourse] [or] [any lewd act between persons] for money or other consideration. [“Lewd act,” as used in this instruction, means any act which involves the touching of the genitals, buttocks, or female breast of one person by any part of the body of another person and is done with the intent to sexually arouse or gratify.”

CALJIC 1.20 — Wilfully defined. “The word “willfully” when applied to the intent with which an act is done or omitted means with a purpose or willingness to commit the act or to make the omission in question. The word “willfully” does not require any intent to violate the law, or to injure another, or to acquire any advantage.”

California Penal Code 664 — Attempts; punishment. (“Every person who attempts to commit any crime, but fails, or is prevented or intercepted in its perpetration, shall be punished where no provision is made by law for the punishment of those attempts, as follows: (b) If the crime attempted is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail, the person guilty of the attempt shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for a term not exceeding one-half the term of imprisonment prescribed upon a conviction of the offense attempted. (c) If the offense so attempted is punishable by a fine, the offender convicted of that attempt shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one-half the largest fine which may be imposed upon a conviction of the offense attempted.”

Penal Code 266h PC — Pimping. “(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), any person who, knowing another person is a prostitute, lives or derives support or maintenance in whole or in part from the earnings or proceeds of the person’s prostitution, or from money loaned or advanced to or charged against that person by any keeper or manager or inmate of a house or other place where prostitution is practiced or allowed, or who solicits or receives compensation for soliciting for the person, is guilty of pimping, a felony, and shall be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for three, four, or six years. (b) Any person who, knowing another person is a prostitute, lives or derives support or maintenance in whole or in part from the earnings or proceeds of the person’s prostitution, or from money loaned or advanced to or charged against that person by any keeper or manager or inmate of a house or other place where prostitution is practiced or allowed, or who solicits or receives compensation for soliciting for the person, when the prostitute is a minor, is guilty of pimping a minor, a felony, and shall be punishable as follows: (1) If the person engaged in prostitution is a minor over the age of 16 years, the offense is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for three, four, or six years. (2) If the person engaged in prostitution is under 16 years of age, the offense is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or eight years.”

Relevant Cases:

Ferguson v. City of Cathedral City, E051039, COURT OF APPEAL OF CALIFORNIA, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT, DIVISION TWO, 197 Cal. App. 4th 1161; 128 Cal. Rptr. 3d 514; 2011 Cal. App. LEXIS 978, June 30, 2011, Filed

Ferguson’s employment with the Cathedral City Police Department (the Department) began in 2001. In November 2006, Ferguson was arrested during a videotaped sting operation conducted in the City of Ontario after Ferguson agreed to pay an undercover police officer $40 for oral sex. On November 16, 2006, Ferguson exited the I-10 freeway at Holt Boulevard in Ontario and parked near a woman he had seen standing on the street. An undercover officer, Kathy Janzen (Janzen), was posing as a prostitute. Ferguson motioned to Janzen and she approached his car. Ferguson asked Janzen if she was a cop. Janzen said she was a “working girl” who charged $40 for a “blow job” and $80 for sex. Ferguson said, “I’ll take the $40 blow job.” Janzen directed Ferguson to meet her down the street. A uniformed police officer stopped Ferguson and arrested him for solicitation for prostitution.

Ultimately, on March 5, 2008, Ferguson pleaded no contest to Penal Code section 415, subdivision (2), a misdemeanor, for making loud and unreasonable noise. Ferguson was fined about $500 and sentenced to two years of summary probation.

Please contact Attorney Max Gorby at (323) 477-2819 regarding any questions related to California Penal Code section  647 Prostitution.