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Chicago Johns in the Spotlight, Legal Questions Linger (moved from ATSNN)

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posted on Jul, 24 2005 @ 02:17 PM
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In a move designed to scare potential Johns straight, the Chicago police have started posting to the web the photos and personal information of any man caught soliciting prostitution. The project started this month, and already boasts dozens of 'Stars.' It remains to be seen if the strategy will pay off in the form of a reduction in arrests.
 



www.cbsnews.com< br /> Anyone who's ever wondered just who the men are who cruise this city's seedier strips looking for sex can now satisfy their curiosity.

Starting last month, the Chicago Police Department has been posting the names of "johns" arrested for engaging or soliciting prostitutes; along with their photo, address, age and place of arrest. A recent sample included men from low-income Chicago neighborhoods and relatively well-to-do suburbs, of all ages and ethnicities.

It's part of a tactic more and more cities are using, cracking down on prostitution by focusing on demand, often using tactics of humiliation -- like Chicago's website or billboards in Oakland, Calif. -- to try and convince potential customers to stay home.


Please visit the link provided for the complete story.


I was stunned when I heard about this. I lived in Chicago for several years, so of course my curiosity got the best of me, and I wanted to see if anyone I knew had found their way to infamy by this route. It seems to me to be a blatant violation of privacy. This reminds me of when they used to put petty criminals in stocks in the town square so that their peers could laugh and throw rotten produce at the offenders. It's neither rehabilitation nor is it exactly punishment. It's more akin to terrorism actually, or, detterence if you prefer.

I think this raises a very sticky legal question. What is the justification for posting the photos? To embarass, obviously. Does this qualify as cruel and unusual punishment? This will almost certainly lead to people losing their jobs, which is perhaps punishment above and beyond that necessitated by the relative seriousness of the crime. Will they start doing this with other crimes as well?

I never understood why prostitution was illegal in the first place. It's a victimless crime in most instances, and a legal framework would grant both workers and customers a vastly improved margin of safety and comfort. With VD testing, secure locations, registered workers, and 'panic buttons', all the worst elements of prostitution are eliminated. I think this is a case of opening a can of worms to avoid the obvious solution. Check the supporting link for the actual website, to view the wall of infamy. Who knows, you might even find someone you know!

Related News Links:
www.chicagopolice.org



posted on Jul, 24 2005 @ 02:23 PM
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This is a blatant invasion of privacy and should be struck down immediately. What goes on between two consensual adults is between them and no one else. I don't believe the cops would like if the pictures of them and their mistresses were posted all over the city. They need to get back to work and stop embarressing people. Fight crime by investigating and arresting, not invading privacy and humiliating



posted on Jul, 24 2005 @ 02:28 PM
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Personally I just don't understand this illegality of prostitution. As Carlin said, "Selling is legal, sex is legal, why isn't selling sex legal"? Not a dirrect quote but you get the point. I have to agree with him.

There's a lot of real crimes they could be spending this time and money on.

[edit on 24-7-2005 by intrepid]



posted on Jul, 24 2005 @ 02:28 PM
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I agree with you completely.


It seems to me to be a strong-arm tactic, a sort of blackmail or extortion effort.

I don't think the state has any business telling me who to bugger, frankly.

I've never had the 'need' to visit one of these ladies, but look at some of those guys! They're hideous! How are they ever going to release sexual tension if they aren't allowed to pay for sex?

Sexual tension is a killer, it leads to all sorts of horrendous things like rape and murder. Better to provide a safe environment where consenting adults can blow off steam, rather than having a bunch of sex-crazed, uptight psychos running around.

People forget we've got a biological drive to mate. If we ignore that for too long, it's like a rubber band that keeps twisting...

Something's gonna give.




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