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Justice Department Targets Pimps

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 04:33:03 AM EST
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The Justice Department now has two units targeting pimps-- the Human Trafficking Task Force and the Innocence Lost initiative. It has initiated 140 investigations in 14 cities and convicted 14 pimps.

The first pimp tried in the District under the federal statute, Carlos Curtis, will be sentenced March 17. He could face life in prison for prostituting a 12-year-old runaway he recruited from New York and a 17-year-old he brought to the District from Maryland.

In New York, James Colliton, the lawyer nick-named the "Lolita Lawyer", who until his firing last week was a partner at the swanky firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore earing $500k a year, is charged in state court and faces 7 years for allegedly "pimping out" two sisters, age 13 and 15.

Colliton was arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court on charges of second-degree rape, patronizing prostitutes and bribing witnesses. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

Life in prison vs. 7 years for the same type of crime. One defendant is a rich lawyer. The other is a street pimp. What's the message here?

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    Justice Department Targets Pimps | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 03:20:22 AM EST
    TL: The second link is not working for me. I don't know if it is a firefox thing, or a time of the moring thing. If that is the entire story then, yes it does not appear to be fair. However, I would guess there is more to the stories than what is posted here.

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 04:15:04 AM EST
    The second link didn't work for me for a while, but suddenly started working. Either TL fixed it (silently) or I'd guess there was a name server problem somewhere.

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 04:56:53 AM EST
    One difference is actually that the second guy isn't a "pimp" per se - sick, disgusting barely registers as human, should probably spend the rest of his life in prison, absolutely. But from what I've read, the crime involves the girls' mother pimping them out to him. Not him pimping them out to others. And it was entirely local. So it probably doesn't fall under the statute used in the first case. I'm not saying that the crimes are "qualitatively" different, and the punishment for both should run closer to the first instance, but I think this is actually more of a "punish the prostitute (and pimp), minimal time for the 'john'" that's unfortunately pretty common in our society.

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 05:45:47 AM EST
    The fundemental issue that should be addressed here is the legalization of prostitution. I think we should not let the State turn Pimping and Prostituion in to a Felony resulting in extreme sentences. It is common tactic to use issues such as Child exploitation to justify Life sentences for related offenses. The men and woman who ingage in the oldest Profession do not deserve felony status. The real way to control the exploitation of children is to legalize the business. This would certainly cause the industry to police itself by making sure that all the woman who work in the trade are adults.

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 06:30:30 AM EST
    I think we should not let the State turn Pimping and Prostituion in to a Felony resulting in extreme sentences. In a better world, prostitution would be legalized and regulated. And pimping would be a felony. In this world, pimping should be a felony.

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 08:13:20 AM EST
    I'd rather see them doing this than going after Marc Emery. Too bad they have enough time and staff for both.

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 08:49:05 AM EST
    I think one of the main reasons prostitutes have pimps is to bail them out of jail. If prostitution was legal, wouldn't pimps be out of business?

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 09:12:00 AM EST
    Kdog If Prostitution were legal Pimps would be called CEOs. JPF You talk about this world vs a better world. I believe we all should be doing all we can to bring This World a little closer to a better World. Would you agree?

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#9)
    by kdog on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 09:24:37 AM EST
    I hear that Ed.

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 06, 2006 at 10:48:46 AM EST
    Would you agree? Absolutely.

    Re: Justice Department Targets Pimps (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Mar 07, 2006 at 12:23:54 AM EST
    Boy, they must really hate that song. If prostitution becomes legal, not only will Pimps become the new CEOs, but Forbes Magazine's Cover will be graced with much cooler hats in the future. I can see the Enron Trial now. "Your Honor, May it Please the Court, the Defense would like to call Mr Tyrone "Silky" LeBlonde to the Stand." All over the Country, Pimps will be called as character references in an attempt to rehabilitate the tarnished reputations of disgraced businessmen and republican congressmen like abramoff and delay. The only potential downside being that in the shortrun, Pimps will make more as professional witnesses and their own businesses may suffer.

    Justice Department Targets Pimps | 11 comments (11 topical)