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Suing Pimps--What Next?
HAIRY
Member Posts: 23,606
Bill would let prostitutes sue pimps
By CHRISTOPHER WILLS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published Friday, March 31, 2006
Prostitutes who are exploited by pimps and attacked by customers would be able to take their abusers to court under a plan nearing approval in the Illinois legislature.
Advocates say the lawsuits would help victimized women, and some men, start new lives. They also would take some of profit out of forcing people into the sex trade.
"It's a very lucrative business. There's a lot of money to be made, and it's being made on the backs of these women who are damaged for life," said Jennifer Kottler, deputy director of Protestants for the Common Good. "What we're saying now is that they have some civil recourse."
The Senate approved the measure, House Bill 1299, Thursday by a vote of 45-9. It now goes to the House, which has approved similar legislation in the past. Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office said he hasn't looked at the issue yet.
Opponents predicted prostitutes would abuse the right to sue - by filing lawsuits against pimps they don't like, for instance. They also said the bill should allow lawsuits by people living in neighborhoods frequented by prostitutes.
"The real victim is neither the pimp, the john nor the prostitute," added Sen. Ed Petka, a Plainfield Republican running for judge in Will County. "The real victim is the wronged spouse."
It might be possible for prostitutes to sue right now, say the legislation's supporters. But without legal precedents or a specific law to support the suit, they would have little chance of succeeding.
Florida, Hawaii and Minnesota have similar laws, although few lawsuits have been filed in those states, supporters say. They argue the Illinois version has been refined and would be used more as prostitutes and lawyers realized this kind of lawsuit is possible.
Under the Illinois legislation, for instance, prostitutes could sue without running the risk of being prosecuted for prostitution. That's because the window for filing lawsuits would not close until after the statute of limitations for prostitution has expired, said Samir Goswami, associate director of policy for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, a key supporter of the bill.
Prostitutes also would be able to sue customers who inflict * harm on them.
Advocates say the legal system rarely holds pimps responsible for their role in prostitution, which is illegal in Illinois.
Chicago saw about 3,200 arrests for prostitution in 2004 and about 900 for hiring a prostitute, Goswami said, but the number of pimps arrested each year is 30 or fewer.
By CHRISTOPHER WILLS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published Friday, March 31, 2006
Prostitutes who are exploited by pimps and attacked by customers would be able to take their abusers to court under a plan nearing approval in the Illinois legislature.
Advocates say the lawsuits would help victimized women, and some men, start new lives. They also would take some of profit out of forcing people into the sex trade.
"It's a very lucrative business. There's a lot of money to be made, and it's being made on the backs of these women who are damaged for life," said Jennifer Kottler, deputy director of Protestants for the Common Good. "What we're saying now is that they have some civil recourse."
The Senate approved the measure, House Bill 1299, Thursday by a vote of 45-9. It now goes to the House, which has approved similar legislation in the past. Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office said he hasn't looked at the issue yet.
Opponents predicted prostitutes would abuse the right to sue - by filing lawsuits against pimps they don't like, for instance. They also said the bill should allow lawsuits by people living in neighborhoods frequented by prostitutes.
"The real victim is neither the pimp, the john nor the prostitute," added Sen. Ed Petka, a Plainfield Republican running for judge in Will County. "The real victim is the wronged spouse."
It might be possible for prostitutes to sue right now, say the legislation's supporters. But without legal precedents or a specific law to support the suit, they would have little chance of succeeding.
Florida, Hawaii and Minnesota have similar laws, although few lawsuits have been filed in those states, supporters say. They argue the Illinois version has been refined and would be used more as prostitutes and lawyers realized this kind of lawsuit is possible.
Under the Illinois legislation, for instance, prostitutes could sue without running the risk of being prosecuted for prostitution. That's because the window for filing lawsuits would not close until after the statute of limitations for prostitution has expired, said Samir Goswami, associate director of policy for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, a key supporter of the bill.
Prostitutes also would be able to sue customers who inflict * harm on them.
Advocates say the legal system rarely holds pimps responsible for their role in prostitution, which is illegal in Illinois.
Chicago saw about 3,200 arrests for prostitution in 2004 and about 900 for hiring a prostitute, Goswami said, but the number of pimps arrested each year is 30 or fewer.
Comments
Where's my lawyer?
Pimps are our friends.