Maryland Solicitation Lawyer
Accusations of solicitation in the state of Maryland can be shocking to you, your family, your professional colleagues, and anyone who knows you. Law enforcement officials who charge individuals with solicitation, however, are making a subjective value judgment about their behavior that may not always be as accurate as they might think.
What one might consider to be evidence of assignation might appear to be something altogether to another person. As a result, contacting a Maryland solicitation lawyer may be a good way to get the advice you need in this type of situation. Call a seasoned criminal defense attorney today and schedule a consultation.
Maryland Law and Solicitation or Assignation
According to Md. Code § 11-306, individuals are prohibited from engaging in prostitution or assignation by any means. Assignation, which individuals often refer to as solicitation, is defined under § 11-301 as making an appointment for prostitution or taking any action in furtherance of making an appointment for prostitution.
The same actions that Maryland law prohibits as to prostitution are equally prohibited as to assignation. This includes soliciting or attempting to solicit assignation, or, in other words, urging, inducing, encouraging, requesting, or commanding assignation. For more information about solicitation laws, consult with a solicitation attorney in Maryland.
Proof of Assignation
Maryland’s prostitution and solicitation laws are extremely broad in scope. There is no requirement that money changes hands or that a transaction actually occurs in order for evidence to support an assignation charge. Simply making an offer of assignation is sufficient proof under Maryland law to charge individuals with this criminal offense. There does not need to be an agreement.
This also could mean that individuals are charged with and potentially convicted of criminal misdemeanors when no sexual contact ever took place. Furthermore, the different acts that can constitute solicitation could lead law enforcement authorities to charge individuals with multiple assignation charges for the same act.
Law Enforcement Prostitution Stings
In many instances, prostitution and solicitation charges arise from police entrapment, in which law enforcement agencies set up stings to charge individuals with prostitution, assignation, and related crimes.
Police officers often post online ads on particular websites and then set up controlled meetings in hotels between undercover officers and potential clients, where the environment is heavily monitored by other officers. Some departments even will place undercover officers on the street posing as prostitutes in an attempt to elicit assignation.
Penalties for Solicitation
The penalties for solicitation or assignation under Maryland law are the same as those for prostitution. Assignation is a misdemeanor in the state of Maryland that carries a potential jail sentence of up to one year and a fine of $500, or both.
Many individuals who are arrested for solicitation or assignation in Maryland are first-time offenders who have little or no criminal history. A solicitation charge or conviction can affect their personal relationships, their employment, and their reputation in the community.
Between these negative repercussions and the sanctions of a criminal conviction, individuals who are accused of assignation may want to consult with a Maryland solicitation lawyer in order to explore all of their options before making any decisions.
Consult with a Maryland Solicitation Attorney
What might qualify as a valid solicitation or assignation charge under Maryland law might not seem so clear-cut from a different person’s perspective. If you are facing solicitation charges, you may be humiliated and afraid of how your reputation, both personally and professionally, will be impacted by the charges. Allow a Maryland solicitation lawyer to assess your situation and perhaps give you advice about how to best handle the pending charges. Call now.