The criminalization of child sex trafficking victim Pieper Lewis by the state of Iowa is one more reminder of the gaps in our criminal justice systems related to human trafficking. How many more girls must be criminalized...more
Florida prosecutors dropped both charges against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft for solicitation of prostitution on Thursday. This decision to discontinue the case came on the heels of a Florida appeals court...more
In United States v. Purcell, the Second Circuit (Lynch, Pooler, and Park) considered the conviction of defendant Lavellous Purcell on five counts all arising out of his operation of a prostitution business. On appeal,...more
On Wednesday, Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed a lower court decision excluding video evidence that Florida prosecutors sought to use in their case against hundreds of men who allegedly patronized the...more
On June 29, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States decided Agency for International Development, et al. v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc., et al., No. 19-177, holding that Congress may lawfully condition...more
What does human trafficking mean? What does human trafficking look like? Imagine a young girl on her cellphone, texting, then telling her parents she is going to meet her friends for the night. Or imagine a young girl who...more
On Friday afternoon, the Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari in the following cases: Trump v. Vance, No. 19-635: Whether as part of a district attorney’s criminal investigation targeting the President of...more
The human trafficking industry preys on vulnerable young women throughout the world who seek to escape poverty, violence, and oppression. These women are often lured by sex traffickers through false promises of a better life,...more
You can be sure that, other than the inspirational underdog story of someone beating the odds or overcoming insurmountable obstacles, nothing garners more media attention than the fall of a prominent public figure. This is...more
One might think the behavior of Elon Musk would be the biggest problem any company could face regarding its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). ...more
What I thought would be a simple bill signing ceremony for legislation intended to protect children from sex trafficking turned out to be something more. On August 15th in lower Manhattan, rock music blared in the community...more
In March, the Senate almost unanimously passed the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (“FOSTA”). On April 11, President Trump signed FOSTA into law. As the name implies, Congress’ goal is to give law...more
Recent U.S. lawsuit against corporations, including major hotel chains, shines the spotlight on the need for anti-human trafficking compliance. U.S. law creates corporate liability for entities, such as hotels, casinos and...more
In United States v. Jiamez-Dolores, et al., 14-1840(L) (August 3, 2016) (Hall, Lynch, Chin), the Court in a per curiam order affirmed above-guidelines sentences given to two defendants who each pleaded guilty to one count of...more
In a unanimous decision authored by the Chief Justice of Canada, the Supreme Court has upheld lower courts decisions striking down some of Canada’s prostitution laws as unconstitutional. Though prostitution itself is not...more
Nevada’s legislature meets in regular session every other year for 12o consecutive calendar days. Nev. Const. Art. II, § 4 and NRS 218A.078. Although the 77th session does not start until February 4, legislators are already...more