We have discussed the serious consequences associated with solicitation and prostitution in Florida on this blog before. Besides the criminal consequences of a conviction on these offenses, which we examined in this blog post, being convicted of prostitution or solicitation can cost you money, future employment opportunities and relationships with your spouse or children.
This can all be bad enough. However, in some cases, people will face federal charges versus state charges. Because federal charges come with harsher sentences and can be backed by the efforts of multiple powerful agencies, the stakes are undoubtedly higher if you have been charged with federal offenses.
If you are charged with prostitution, you will likely be charged with violating state statutes. This means that you are accused of breaking a law set and enforced by the state of Florida and your case will likely head to state court. If you are accused of breaking the law in many different states or if you are accused of breaking a federal law, then your case will generally go through the federal courts.
It is important to note that the sorting of courts is not a hard-and-fast rule due to considerable overlaps in state and federal criminal codes.
But let’s look at one example of a case that would go through federal court. Three people were recently arrested and accused of participating in a prostitution ring. Because the crimes were allegedly committed in multiple states and involved the transporting of women across state lines for the purposes of prostitution, the three people were indicted by a federal grand jury.
The three individuals are now facing federal charges including conspiracy to transport a person between states for prostitution purposes and conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking of minors.
If you are at risk of being charged with federal offenses of this nature, you need to understand that you could be in some serious trouble. Defending yourself against these charges in the federal court setting can be enormously complicated and intimidating. Working with an experienced criminal defense attorney can prove to be crucial.