Tampa Solicitation Lawyer

“Solicitation” is a legal term for prostitution or the commercial sale of sexual favors. While arrests for prostitution and related offenses have declined in recent years, if you are charged with any such offense, it is vital to speak with a Tampa solicitation lawyer right away. The outcome of your case has the potential to impact your life in several ways.

Experienced Criminal Defense Counsel for Solicitation Cases in Tampa, FL

The team at the Amarosa Law Firm, P.A., has years of experience defending Tampa clients from all manner of criminal charges, including solicitation. In every criminal case we accept, our goal is to help our client avoid conviction if possible or alleviate their penalties if necessary. Trust us to provide individualized and compassionate defense counsel through all stages of your criminal court proceedings.

The first steps you take following any arrest for any type of solicitation charge are crucial. It’s vital to know and exercise your rights in this situation and to acknowledge the value of having experienced defense representation on your side. Even if you think you can prove your innocence, the reality is that your case may be more challenging than it appears at first, and you will need an attorney to help you overcome any unexpected complications that arise.

Understanding Solicitation Charges in Tampa

According to the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), there were more than 8,700 arrests for solicitation between January 2017 and August 2022. The majority of these arrests were for persons over 18 charged with offering prostitution and for soliciting others to engage in prostitution. Other arrests included purchasing the services of prostitutes and engaging in acts related to sex trafficking.

It’s an unfortunate reality that solicitation is often made possible through sex trafficking. Many victims of sex trafficking are forced into prostitution as a form of modern slavery, and many victims of such operations are eventually charged with crimes they were effectively forced to commit. In 2021 alone, there were 234 cases of human trafficking reported in the Tampa Bay area.

Law enforcement throughout Central Florida, as well as federal law enforcement agencies, have largely shifted focus to sex trafficking and other forms of human trafficking, so it is common for solicitation cases to overlap with such investigations. Ultimately, if you are charged with any type of solicitation, it is crucial to have a defense attorney representing you, especially if you are facing any type of federal charges in a trafficking case.

Potential Penalties for Solicitation in Tampa

It’s possible for a basic solicitation charge to qualify as a misdemeanor or a felony based on the specific details of the case and the defendant’s prior criminal record. Usually, a first charge for solicitation is prosecuted as a misdemeanor. This could lead to jail time with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on East 8^th Avenue.

However, if the defendant has a record of prior convictions, a third solicitation charge can qualify for felony prosecution. Penalties can include fines, incarceration in the Union Correctional Institution, formerly Florida State Prison, and possible mandatory sex offender registration.

If an individual is charged with soliciting another party to engage in a commercial sex act, they could potentially face additional charges if the evidence against them shows that they were participating in any type of sex trafficking operation. This can dramatically increase the possible penalties they could face if they are convicted.

Building Your Defense in a Solicitation Case

Every American has two very important constitutional rights that come into play upon an arrest for any criminal offense. First, they have the right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment. You have no obligation to answer any questions from arresting officers, nor are you required to make any statements during arrest and booking. You should comply with instructions from arresting officers to avoid additional charges, but you should remain silent.

Exercise your Fifth Amendment right to remain silent until you can speak with an attorney. The Sixth Amendment ensures the right to legal counsel, and you should reach out to a Tampa solicitation lawyer at your first opportunity. Following arrest and booking, you should be permitted to make phone calls, and one of those calls should be to the Amarosa Law Firm, P.A.

We can respond immediately to your request for defense counsel. As soon as you hire our firm, we can carefully review the circumstances of your arrest to ensure that the police established probable cause and followed due process. We can also look at the evidence against you to determine the strength of the prosecution’s case. Trust us to identify all of your available options for defending against the charges that have been filed against you.

In every criminal case, the prosecution has the burden of proof. This means the defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and this is a much higher standard of proof than many people realize. The prosecution’s evidence must be lawfully obtained and must leave no room for any reasonable person to doubt whether the defendant committed the act.

How Your Tampa Solicitation Lawyer Can Help

Many people charged with solicitation in Tampa and surrounding areas of Florida are victims of trafficking. They are coerced against their will to engage in commercial sex acts and usually face threats of extreme violence if they do not comply. It is also possible for individuals to be wrongly charged with solicitation due to mistaken identity, misunderstood motives, or, in some cases, entrapment.

Whatever your case entails, you need an experienced defense attorney on your side as you navigate your criminal court proceedings. Your defense lawyer can challenge the prosecution’s evidence against you, citing issues with the manner in which their evidence was obtained, the credibility of witness testimony against you, and other factors that may bolster your defense.

If you broke the law, you may still have an opportunity to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution. While this is not always an option for every case, it is possible for a defendant to secure a lighter sentence in exchange for an immediate guilty plea, and your Tampa solicitation lawyer can advise you as to whether this is a viable option for your situation.

Ultimately, you need to consult a Tampa solicitation lawyer as quickly as possible after an arrest so they have as much time as possible to prepare your defense. The team at the Amarosa Law Firm, P.A., is confident we can provide an unmatched level of defense representation for your upcoming case, so reach out to our firm at your first opportunity to learn how we can help.

FAQs

The team at the Amarosa Law Firm, P.A., can provide comprehensive defense representation for your solicitation case in Tampa. The first steps you take following an arrest for any type of solicitation are crucial, so it’s important that you reach out to our team at your first opportunity. Contact us today to schedule your consultation with an experienced Tampa solicitation lawyer you trust to defend you.