Solicitation in Trussville

Solicitation is the act of requesting sexual favors in exchange for something of value. While prostitution covers the act of both paying for and providing sexual favors, solicitation is the other half of the equation. No matter why the government may have accused you of requesting sex for something of value, facing charges is a reason to take action immediately.

A Trussville solicitation lawyer may be invaluable as you learn how to protect your reputation and freedom. A prostitution conviction may leave you unable to hold certain jobs, affect other legal proceedings, and permanently damage your reputation in the Trussville community. Before deciding your next step, speak with a hard-working defense attorney who understands the ways to defend you in court.

A person does not have to engage in sex or some sexual act for the court to convict them of sexual solicitation. Merely requesting sex in exchange for something of value may be enough for a court to find a person guilty. The law states that requesting or asking another person to engage in a sexual act in exchange for something of value is illegal, as defined in the Code of Alabama §13A-12-121. A violation of this rule is a Class A misdemeanor, which may result in up to one year of jail time and a fine of $6,000.

It must be noted that proving solicitation is not always simple. For the court to convict a person with solicitation, the prosecution must prove the accused person knowingly offered or exchanged something of value for a sexual act. Without clear proof for all of these elements, a judge or jury may not have the unreasonable doubt needed to convict. In certain cases, working with a dedicated solicitation attorney in Trussville could help to cast doubt or disprove the prosecuting lawyer’s claims.

The police in Trussville may engage in acts to catch someone soliciting another person for sex. The police might observe people in suspicious areas and accuse a person of soliciting if that person waves someone over to their car or enters a building with another person.

Consequently, it is may be very important to discuss all the events that lead to a solicitation charge with a Trussville solicitation lawyer to build a strong defense. Some defenses may be a lack of knowledge that the person was engaging in solicitation. Another defense may be entrapment, which means another person got the accused to do something they would not have normally done without the encouragement. If the person did not request a sexual act, that would not be a violation of the law.

While an accusation may be based on a mistake or misunderstanding, a conviction for solicitation could result in the government placing your name on the sex offender registry, a potential jail sentence, and steep fees. You may also end up with a criminal record that affects your ability to rent an apartment, get a job, or attend graduate school. The skills of a knowledgeable and aggressive Trussville solicitation lawyer may be invaluable to you. Before you decide your next step to take, reach out to speak with an attorney today and begin the process of building a strong defense. Contact us today.