club i visit often got raided by LE as result of drug/prostitution sting. got me to wondering, what would happen if i was just visiting club for a drink and to ogle the girls when this happened. can LE arrest customers just for being at " wrong place at the wrong time"
Innocent bystanders sometimes get arrested. You may not be charged with anything, but if LE wants to do a sweep you could get caught up in it. Of course, you can sue for false arrest and with the law being bent in favor of LE, you will lose.
I was in the infamous Memphis Platinum Plus during a vice squad raid about 7 years ago. The innocent (huh) bystanders were not ticketed but the 30+ customers and dancers that were in the lap dance room, all received misdemeanor citations. I don't worry!
Yep. Innocent people can get arrested and convicted. If you're depending on the court system, then good luck.
Usually, a good lawyer can get you off (plead it down to disorderly conduct, 100 dollar fine, next!), but not before the local news people convict you in the court of public opinion, then there's your job-do they mind that you got popped?
Depends on the local law enforcement and how they chose to handle the situation. I was at a club in 2000 when it was raided. The only people who were ticketed were dancers. All the customers had their id checked for outstanding warrants. If you didn't have any outstanding warrants you were escorted out of the club to your car and sent on your way. Those with outstanding warrants were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
robofan is correct. People often come into contact with the police for very little reason, but if they are "clean", they go on their way. Has happened to me, a time or two.
Have been in 2 raids. The first about 15 years ago, girls were led out the back to paddy wagons, guys were told to sit still and then were free to go after the girls were all loaded up. I don't recall any "sho ID" or bomb-sniffing dogs.
2nd raid (5 or 6 yrs ago), included undercover in the VIP room. Apparently he observed some way too hot dancing going on and keyed his remote signaling device. I was in VIP, and the guy just suddenly stood up and whipped out his badge and announced that he was a cop and that everybody needed to put their hands in plain view. He singled out a customer and dancer and led them out of VIP. As this was going on about a dozen swat team guys came thru the front door. They took the customer and dancer to the back, turned off the music, lined all the dancers up along one wall, and customers against another. I was not ID'ed, but I did see a couple of other guys being questioned. We were allowed to leave after 10 or 15 minutes.
A club manager told me a week or so later that the final score was solicitation counts on a couple dancers, a couple of drug charges on dancers, he thought the customer in VIP was arrested for disorderly conduct, but the charges would be dropped if he testified against the dancer for allegedly rubbing his package with her hand. The manager thought at least one of the guys I saw being questioned was an undercover cop. He thinks they got him on surveillance video, so they might recognize him if he comes in the club again.
I am told that LE is primarily interested in the drug possession by dancers aspect of all this, and that prosecutors generally prefer not to go after the customers unless drugs are involved.
"I don't think they can do anything to me without a complaint from me that I was approached by a dancer for sex in exchange for money."
Well, if they caught you in the act of prostitution (and I don't know the specific laws that are valid near you Bones), you might be in trouble as well as the dancer.
2. Do prostitution only where you're reasonably sure that you can get away with it.
2.b. If you aren't reasonably sure, then only do actions that you can suffer the legal consequences of, depending on jurisdiction, personal status, etc..
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Nothing...were you dealing/holding drugs or engaged in prostitution (or anything else that was illegal at the time)? Nope...
Usually, a good lawyer can get you off (plead it down to disorderly conduct, 100 dollar fine, next!), but not before the local news people convict you in the court of public opinion, then there's your job-do they mind that you got popped?
2nd raid (5 or 6 yrs ago), included undercover in the VIP room. Apparently he observed some way too hot dancing going on and keyed his remote signaling device. I was in VIP, and the guy just suddenly stood up and whipped out his badge and announced that he was a cop and that everybody needed to put their hands in plain view. He singled out a customer and dancer and led them out of VIP. As this was going on about a dozen swat team guys came thru the front door. They took the customer and dancer to the back, turned off the music, lined all the dancers up along one wall, and customers against another. I was not ID'ed, but I did see a couple of other guys being questioned. We were allowed to leave after 10 or 15 minutes.
A club manager told me a week or so later that the final score was solicitation counts on a couple dancers, a couple of drug charges on dancers, he thought the customer in VIP was arrested for disorderly conduct, but the charges would be dropped if he testified against the dancer for allegedly rubbing his package with her hand. The manager thought at least one of the guys I saw being questioned was an undercover cop. He thinks they got him on surveillance video, so they might recognize him if he comes in the club again.
I am told that LE is primarily interested in the drug possession by dancers aspect of all this, and that prosecutors generally prefer not to go after the customers unless drugs are involved.
Don't take your stash to the club wid you.
Well, if they caught you in the act of prostitution (and I don't know the specific laws that are valid near you Bones), you might be in trouble as well as the dancer.
2. Do prostitution only where you're reasonably sure that you can get away with it.
2.b. If you aren't reasonably sure, then only do actions that you can suffer the legal consequences of, depending on jurisdiction, personal status, etc..
3. Y.M.M.V.
Life's easiest rules ...