Sheriff Grady Judd will hold a press conference today to announce the results of the latest Polk Prostitution sting from last week. The sting was part of a undercover operation targeting individuals who respond to online advertisements on Backpage.com. The online ads are usually listings for escort or massage services, but once the person responds to the hotel,...
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Polk Sheriff arrests men in Saddle Creek for lewd solicitation
The Polk County Sheriff's Officer arrested five (5) men for solicitation for a lewd act at Saddle Creek Park yesterday. This was another lewd/prostitution sting. These men will likely be charged with solicitation for prostitution which carries a $5,000.00 "civil penalty" if the person charged pleads to the lewd act or is found guilty. I...
Read MorePolk County prostitution $5,000.00 civil penalty not applied retroactively judge rules
This week, Polk county criminal court Judge Fegers rules that the "civil penalty" in prostitution case can not be applied retroactively. This means that if you were arrested before January 1, 2013 before the$5,250.00 fine went into effect, you will NOT have to pay the fine. This is due to the fact that our Florida...
Read MorePolk prostitution sting update on civil penalty unconstitutional motion
Many people are asking what is the status of the Motion to Declare the Prostitution "civil penalty" unconstitutional that I filed a couple of months ago. Many Polk criminal defense attorneys taking these prostitution cases are not filing a motion or fighting the $5,250.00 civil penalty. Some lawyers are waiting for the ruling on my...
Read MoreAnother Polk County Backpage solicitation for lewdness and prostitution sting
Polk County law enforcement agencies ran another prostitution sting this week. This appears to be similar to the prostitution stings recently done this past January and last August. The prostitution law increased the "civil penalty" for "johns" from $500.00 to $5,250.00 on January 1, 2013. I am the only Polk County criminal defense attorney who has challenged the...
Read MorePolk County prostitution attorney seal expunge record civil penalty not paid
Effective January 1, 2013, the "civil penalty" for soliciting for prostitution has been increased from $500.00 to $5,250.00. Where does the civil fine go? $500.00 goes to where it went before the prostitution law changed. $4,500.00 of the solicitation for lewdness fine goes to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) to fund safe...
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