Solicitation of a Prostitute

On this Page:

Since 2005, I have helped protect the rights and records of men accused of Soliciting a Prostitute in Chicago. Whether you know you made a mistake and just want to enter into a fair and reasonable agreement that prevents this charge from appearing on your record, or, want to fight it all the way to trial, you have come to the right place.

No matter what police told you, the stakes are high for anyone charged with soliciting a prostitute because:

  • A conviction for soliciting a prostitute can never be cleared from your record, and
  • Soliciting a prostitute under Illinois law is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2500. 720 ILCS 5/11-14.1; soliciting a prostitute under Chicago law is punishable by 20 days to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1500. Chicago Municipal Code 8-8-060.

If properly handled from the beginning, however, there is no reason that a soliciting a prostitute charge should remain on your permanent record or affect you later in life.

How Can I Keep a Soliciting a Prostitute Arrest as Private as Possible?

The first step for any man accused of soliciting a prostitute is to keep the arrest as private as possible:

  • Secure Your Mailbox. If you have not yet been flooded with mail from lawyers asking you to hire them, you soon will be. Some lawyers regularly search the court records in order to send advertisements to the recently arrested. This is a distasteful practice that my office will not be party to; I'm sorry that you have to endure yet another indignity so soon after your arrest. Consider reaching out to your mailman or post office to have your mail redirected until the dust settles.
  • Do You Co-Own Your Car With Another Person? Within 10 days after a car has been impounded, the City of Chicago will send a notice of impoundment by certified mail to the registered address of all registered owners of the car.
  • Publication of Name and Picture on the City of Chicago's Website. If you are arrested for allegedly soliciting a prostitute, your name and picture will be published on the City of Chicago website. Unfortunately, the website is here to stay, at least for now. The pictures, however, stay up for only 30 days and move down the list as time goes by and new arrests are made.
  • Keeping Solicitation of a Prostitute off Your Permanent Record. If you can avoid a conviction and avoid pleading guilty, you can usually petition to have the record of your arrest destroyed after your case is finished. This is called an "expungement" of your record.

What are my Settlement Options?

I know that your goal is to protect your record and get your case dismissed with as little cost and time as possible. In many cases, and especially if you have never been arrested before, there may be settlement options available that, if properly completed, gets your case dismissed, avoids jail, avoids a conviction, and avoids you having to plead guilty. Entry into these programs is at the discretion of the court and you may be barred entry based on several factors including: the nature of the incident and arrest, your background, the strengths and weaknesses of your case, and the attitude of the judge or prosecutor in court on that day.

How to Beat a Soliciting a Prostitute Case

If bargaining is not an option for you, know that the area of Solicitation of a Prostitute in Illinois is rich with potential defenses. Each case is different and the availability of defenses depends on the facts of your case, but, in all cases, the prosecution must prove that there was an agreement to perform a sexual act in exchange for something of value; there is nothing illegal about seeing an attractive woman and wanting to strike up a conversation. Some ways to beat a Solicitation of a Prostitute case include:

  • No probable cause for arrest. If the only thing the arresting officer saw before they arrested you was you getting in a car, or, you talking to someone on the street, how did the officer know, at the time he arrested you, that the person wasn't a girlfriend? Or spouse? Or just an attractive woman that you were trying to talk to? The Constitution protects your right to be free from an arrest not supported by probable cause. If the officer did not have enough evidence, at the time he arrested you, the case against you could be thrown out,
  • If you had little or no money on you at the time you were arrested, it is more difficult for the prosecution to prove that you had agreed to an act of Prostitution as opposed to a free exchange of sex,
  • There are many other legal and technical defenses to this accusation that are best discussed in person.

Call for a Free Consultation

Being accused of Soliciting a Prostitute may be the most stressful thing you will ever go through in your life. Since 2005 I have helped protected the rights and records of men accused of Soliciting a Prostitute. If there is a way to beat your case, I will find it. If there is a way to settle your case quickly while keeping your record clean, I will find it. On the way phone calls and email will be answered promptly and you will have direct access to me personally.

Call me at 312.893.5099 or contact me online for a free consultation.

Related Blog Posts