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SLO County to cut down on prosecuting prostitutes

March 18, 2015

Wiki-prostituteThe San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office plans to, by in large, stop prosecuting prostitutes. [Tribune]

Prosecutors have announced that they no longer view prostitutes as criminals. Rather they are victims of exploitation or forced labor.

Instead of prosecuting prostitutes, the district attorney’s office says it plans to help lead them away from their abusers and into treatment programs, counseling or housing. In order to accomplish the mission, prosecutors are teaming up with local law enforcement to launch a human trafficking task force.

Prosecutors will still file charges against prostitutes in particular cases. For instance, if the prostitute is younger than 18, prosecutors often see charging the girl as the only way to get her into the system where she can receive help.

District Attorney Dan Dow told the Tribune that those who purchase sex in San Luis Obispo County will continue to be prosecuted. Prosecutors will now refer to people who buy sex as “abusers” or “traffickers.”

Dow also said that it is inappropriate for police to arrest prostitutes and send their booking photos out to the media.

California law states that engaging in and soliciting prostitution are both misdemeanors. Between Jan. 1, 2014 and March 12, 2015, San Luis Obispo County courts convicted 13 people for engaging in prostitution and 14 for soliciting prostitution.


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Selective enforcement of laws is a slippery slope and we are on it from the federal level on down to the local level. It is up to the legislature to change laws not for law enforcement officials to decide which laws they wish to enforce.


Are all prostitutes victims of human trafficking? Many are and that is very sad, but others choose the lifestyle often to support drug habits.


Didn’t the DA swear an oath to enforce the laws?


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Now that it’s not a crime maybe like allowing mobil marijuana distribution we might start thinking about mobil prostitution service in SLO.


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Only if it’s a “cooperative.”


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I cant believe this.. so again we demonize men for wanting sex and never hold women

responsible for breaking the law.. I can understand the under 18 stipulation but to not

arrest women for selling themselves and only arrest men for buying sex is insane!!!


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It’s absurd to assume as Dow does that ALL women in prostitution are there by duress.

If the John is now a “trafficker”, will they prosecute under CA’s trafficking laws? Prostitution

is a misdemeanor, human trafficking is a felony. Of course, absurdity is what the law is all

about, much more profitable that way. If you pay a woman to have sex with you, you’re a

human trafficking felon. If you pay a woman to have sex with you, videotape it, and sell the

tapes, you’re a pornographer, 100% legal. Makes sense, right?


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Men pay women to have sex all the time.. its called dating!


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No…it’s not insane…it is how Liberals combat White Make Privileged.


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Does this mean our politicians are off the hook too ?


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Not if there is an election issue.


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Well I am impressed, again, by the maturity being shown by the leadership of D.A. Dow and how to prosecute and protect members of society. I certainly hope someone reading the headline for this article does not mistakenly believe that somehow prostitution is now legal or sanctioned by the D.A.’s office. If you think paying for any sexual “service” is a victimless crime and that you can get away with breaking the law by soliciting, Mr. Dow has some news for you.


I heartily applaud the direction Mr. Dow is taking the District Attorney’s office and hope he continues to work to make our county a better place to live and work.


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California Penal Code 653.2 “Commit prostitution” means to engage in sexual conduct for

money or other consideration. The prostitute is breaking the law by accepting money for sex.


How does one applaud a DA who chooses not to enforce the law in direct contradiction of his sworn oath?


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“…..San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office plans to, by in large, stop prosecuting prostitutes.” Gibson may have his hand in this move to ease the DA’s case overload.


Next it will be the poor unfortunates who have to rob banks to feed their children. WHO elected this bonehead DA ? I thought we had issues with the LAST one. .


Truly, the inmates are running the asylum in this county.

Let’s COMPLETE the abandonment of enforcing laws and good sense.


Maybe we should promote sexual/wine tourism here, could even include a biker “poker” run (gawww, an awful pun I know) so the thugs they don’t prosecute for excessive speed, excessive noise can run WILD blasting Steppenwolf from their mobile music units, winery to winery, prostitute to prostitute. Hey, the happiest place on Earth !


Disgusting.


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So I guess Dan Dow now agrees with Obama in that HE can change the law!

Outrageous…and folks….you voted for this Craziness.


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There you go folks.

That’s how Dan Dow rolls.

The Drug dealer is innocent, it’s the Buyer that is the problem,

The stolen car salesman is innocent, but the Buyer of the stolen car is the problem

The Hooker is now an innocent victim…but Hooker Buyer is now the problem.


This is what people like Dan Dow really think and why they are dangerous to Law and Order.


Tony Covello saw this coming…and warned you guys….but did you listen?


No


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Rich in MB, you forgot to mention the child molesters. Our granddaughter was molested for 6 years by her step grandfather in Paso Robles with who she was forced to live with at the time. After she ran away to the Paso Robles Police Department, CPS found us. We filed a report with the Shreiff’s Department who then turned it over to the Paso Robles Police Department. We waited, and waited and waited to hear that this dirt bag was arrested. My husband placed many phone calls over a period of 8 months to be finally told by Dan Dow that these crimes are hard to get convictions for because people here don’t want to believe this type of thing goes on in our community, so they were not going to file charges. Even had a video of my grandaughter’s face black and blue where he punched her, and many witnesses that could and would attest to the physical abuse and questioned if she was being molested. I could go on and on about the horrible things she told Dan Dow that this man did to her and his response? She looks like she’s doing well now. This man is the typical politician saying what the people want to hear to get elected, then showing his true colors as the egotistical, self centered individual whose only compassion is to himself and the furtherment of his career.


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Welcome to Slippery Slope California! Come for the lowered standards, stay for the declining morals. Later this month, watch the drug dealers ask for recognition as undocumented

pharmacists.

Dan, you ran as a law and order guy. Now you go squishy Liberal?


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Declining morals in SLO??????

This is one of the largest wife-swapping cities in California!!!!

Wake up!!! Tourists even come here to get a room in one of the beach towns and “swing”.When my boyfriend and I were invited to one of these….we went out of curiosity….and there were doctors, lawyers, and everything in between.


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