Arrests on charges of “prostitution” and “solicitation for prostitution” account for a significant portion of all arrests for sexually-oriented crimes in the Houston/Harris County area. In addition to the initial social embarrassment caused by such an arrest, if you are convicted of prostitution or solicitation you face:
Furthermore, such a conviction will also establish a criminal record that will be maintained by the State of Texas for the rest of your life.
In view of the heavy penalties that can be imposed for prostitution and/or solicitation, even for a first-time conviction, if you have been arrested on a prostitution/solicitation charge you should immediately contact a criminal defense lawyer in order to aggressively protect your constitutional rights as a citizen. Brett Podolsky represents clients all around the Greater Houston area and has a successful track record of defending prostitution cases.
All Texas laws regarding prostitution and prostitution-related offenses are based on definitions given in Section 43.02 of the Texas Penal Code, where “prostitution” is defined as knowingly offering to engage, agreeing to engage, or engaging in sexual conduct for money and “solicitation” is to knowingly solicit or attempt to recruit, in a public place, another person to engage in an act of prostitution.
In September 2021, Texas changed the crime of solicitation from a class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony. Conviction on a charge of prostitution or solicitation is generally punished after a review of the individual’s criminal record:
This law was changed in an effort to crack down on human trafficking in Texas. This change means that much of your life is stake when facing these charges.
Being placed under arrest is often a time of great psychological stress. During such times it is common that the police and/or the state’s attorney will exploit this stress to elevate what had been a simple misunderstanding into a criminal offense, even to the point of misrepresenting the facts in your case or attempting to turn your own words or statements against you. Sadly, such abuses are all too common in prostitution or solicitation arrests and prosecutions.
Criminal defense lawyer Brett Podolsky, a former assistant state attorney, is well-aware how such tactics can be employed to force an admission of guilt in an otherwise weak case. Mr. Podolsky uses his 15 years of experience in the practice of criminal law to personally review the facts in your case and determine if the state has met its constitutional obligations to bring and prosecute such charges. In addition, Brett Podolsky will be at your side throughout the entire judicial process to advise you of your legal rights and to protect you against an unjust conviction.
To begin your aggressive defense against a charge of prostitution or solicitation, you should immediately contact criminal defense lawyer Brett Podolsky by calling his law office at 713-227-0087 to arrange for a free initial consultation regarding your case.
