Hennepin County Solicitation Defense
Charged in a prostitution sting in the Twin Cities area?
State and Federal law enforcement in Hennepin Couty Law enforcement, alongside police departments from Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Richfield, Edina and others, are conducting regular solicitation "Sting" operations in and around the Twin Cities metro area.
Speak with Attorney Luke Neuville, 612-354-2622, a Hennepin County criminal defense lawyer who actually understands how these sting operations work, how these cases are prosecuted, and how to fight them in court.
Here is what you need to know right away to protect your record, your job, and your future.
The Terrifying Reality of a Solicitation Charge in Hennepin County, Minnesota
- -Possibility of your mugshot being online forever
- -Employment could be in immediate jeopardy
- -Family might find out through news reports
- -Criminal charge/conviction can show up on background checks
One Moment and your Life Upended
Imagine the scenario, the loneliness was overwhelming. It wasn't even about romance. It was the absence of a human connection-good conversation, the feeling of perceived mutual attraction.
Scrolling through your phone, in a corner of the internet you're unfamiliar with - personal ads. Someone offering companionship, conversation, and a relaxing massage for a fee. "Discretion/privacy guaranteed."
The profile felt real then, a message sent.
The response was immediate. The person on the other end was kind, asking about your day. Despite hesitation, you agree to meet at a small, nearby motel. "It's just a massage - just to talk." You genuinely are not sure of your intentions.
You knock on the motel room door.
Then, your life explodes.
A room filled with police officers. The "person" you'd been chatting nowhere to be seen.
The situation hits home: Solicitation... A sting operation... Criminal charges. This wasn't what you meant.
The Minnesota Task Force - working alongside police departments from Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, Richfield and other cities - are relentless in their undercover prostitution sting operation pursuits.
Your rights matter and you can fight back.
This is where Attorney Luke Neuville come into the picture.
When you call Attorney Luke Neuville, ZERO judgment; 100% strategy.
- -The fact is you're probably embarrassed and scared right now. The police design these sting operations to make you feel that way. But there is some hope: These cases can be beatable if you know what to do next. Immediately work to protect your rights and begin building a defense strategy.
- -Every detail matter. The exact nature of the communication, what specific offers is made, and the intent/procedures followed by police. Was there entrapment? Were your constitutional rights violated before, during or after the sting operation?
HOW MINNESOTA SOLICITATION STING OPERATIONS WORK
The Set-up
- -Originate on the internet
- -Undercover law police place an online ad, suggesting "companionship" or other "services"
- -Ads are often sexually suggestive, involving suggestive photos or other images
- -Sting involves fictious people that appear to be real but are actually undercover police officers
- -Undercover police will attempt to secure an agreement to exchange a sex act for money or something of value, often using code language, or other slang terms known to law enforcement
The Location
- -Undercover police will engage in suggestive communication and attempt to set up a meeting
- -Undercover police will direct a suspect to a certain location
The Arrest
- -When a suspect arrives at a pre-determined location, undercover police may approach immediately upon arrival
- -Undercover police may not immediately identify themselves and rather seek to obtain additional statements from a suspect prior to arrest.
The Goal: Get you to plead guilty as soon as possible.
What constitutes solicitation?
Minnesota law defines "prostitution" to mean hiring, offering to hire, or agreeing to hire another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact, or being hired, offering to be hired, or agreeing to be hired by another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact. Minn. Stat. 609.321, Subd. 9.
The law defines a "patron" to mean an individual who engages in prostitution by hiring, offering to hire, or agreeing to hire another individual to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact. Minn. Stat. 609.321 Subd. 4.
Minnesota law has severe penalties for offenses involving minors. The penalties depend on the age of the person involved and the role of the offender.
Crimes Involving Minors - Serious Felony Charges
The penalties are very severe for anyone who pays for or engages in prostitution with a minor. The punishment increases with the youth of the minor.
Involving a minor under 14: Up to 20 years in prison and/or a $40,000 fine.
Involving a minor aged 14-15: Up to 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.
Involving a minor aged 16-17: Up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
These penalties also apply to anyone who hires, offers to hire, or engages in prostitution with a minor, or anyone who reasonably believed the person was underage.
Punishment for Soliciting Adult Prostitute (Gross Misdemeanor)
First Offense (Adult Prostitute): A gross misdemeanor. The penalty includes up to 364 days in county jail and a minimum fine of $1,500, which can potentially be lowered by a judge. 1-2 years of possible probation.
Repeat Offense (within 10 years): A felony, with up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
Using a Car: If a patron uses a motor vehicle during the offense, this is noted on their driving record. This record is private for a first offense but becomes public information for repeat offenders.
The police and prosecuting attorneys prefer that you:
- -Admit guilt immediately
- -Take a quick plea deal without a lawyer representing you
- -Assume you're guilty and that no defenses apply to your circumstances
- -Let Fear direct your decision-making
What you Should do: Hire a Lawyer that can find the weaknesses in the case against you
Option #1: Fight the Charges
Whether your case is charged in Hennepin County, Stearns County, or elsewhere you have rights and defenses that you can raise in court. At trial, every criminal defendant is given the presumption of innocence. But what does this even mean?
What do you need to be successful at trial?
First, you need an attorney with trial experience, who has your back and will fight for you to the very end of your case.
How to Beat a Solicitation Charge: Proven Trial Defenses
Facing a solicitation charge can be daunting, but there are several powerful legal strategies that can be used to fight the allegations in Hennepin County court. Depending on the specific circumstances of your arrest, we can challenge the prosecution's case using the following arguments:
Lack of Evidence or Insufficient Evidence: A conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred. We will scrutinize the communication between you and the undercover officer. Was there a true agreement, or was there a miscommunication or misunderstanding? If the prosecution cannot prove explicit criminal intent, the case may collapse.
Entrapment: Were you induced or pressured by the undercover officer to commit a crime you would not have otherwise committed? If law enforcement used coercion, harassment, or persuasive tactics to force you into the situation, we can argue that you were a victim of entrapment, which is a valid defense to have the charges dismissed.
Procedural Errors and Constitutional Violations: Law enforcement must follow strict protocols during sting operations. If the undercover officers violated your constitutional rights-such as illegal search and seizure or failure to read your Miranda rights-these procedural errors can result in critical evidence being suppressed, potentially derailing the entire case against you.
Option #2: Resolve your case with a plea bargain - Reduce the charges, protect your permanent record
The best outcome (and the goal) is dismissal of all criminal charges against you. If the judge and prosecutor refuse to dismiss the charges against you, you're left with a decision: take the case to trial or pursue a plea bargain. Here's the fact: the overwhelming majority of criminal cases filed in Minnesota resolve with some sort of plea bargain. Which means effective negotiation with the prosecuting attorney is vitally important to getting the best outcome on your case.
What Is a Good Plea Deal for a Gross Misdemeanor Solicitation Charge in Hennepin County?
If you are facing a gross misdemeanor solicitation charge in Minneapolis or the surrounding suburbs, securing a favorable plea bargain is often the primary goal. An effective plea agreement can help you avoid the most severe penalties and protect your future. Below are the key components of a "good" plea deal in Hennepin County:
Avoid Jail Time: The primary objective is to stay out of the Hennepin County Jail or the Workhouse. While these are serious charges, most first-time offenders can negotiate a plea that avoids substantial, if any, time served.
Keep Your Record Clean: We aim to persuade the prosecuting attorney and the District Court Judge to prevent a permanent conviction from appearing on your background. This can be achieved through alternatives like a Continuance for Dismissal, a Stay of Adjudication, or pursuing a future expungement of both the conviction and arrest records.
• Reduce the Charge Level: Negotiating a reduction to a lower-level offense can significantly lessen the long-term impact. This might involve pleading to a standard misdemeanor-level conviction or securing a Stay of Imposition, which treats the crime as a misdemeanor once probation is successfully completed.
Minimize Probation Terms: A good deal limits the intrusion of the court into your daily life. We negotiate to minimize the length of probation and, ideally, secure unsupervised probation rather than supervised reporting.
Reduce Financial Penalties: Fines and fees can add up quickly. While financial penalties typically range from $500 to $2,500 depending on the unique circumstances of your case, a strong plea bargain can significantly reduce these costs.
Alternative Resolutions: Whenever possible, we seek resolutions that focus on education rather than punishment. This includes negotiating for diversion programs that may involve community service or completion of the Minnesota Prostitution Prevention online educational classes in lieu of a conviction.
What if I am convicted on a felony solicitation of a minor in Hennepin County?
Felony level charges are significantly more serious than gross misdemeanor level charges. The direct and collateral consequences of a felony conviction can be substantial. In Hennepin County, prosecutors often seek jail time for individuals facing felony solicitation of a minor. Depending on the circumstances of your case, prosecutors often request mental health assessments, and potentially a psychosexual evaluation. Other restrictions the Hennepin County prosector may seek to impose include:
- -limit out-of-state travel
- -restrict internet use without approved monitoring software
- -restrict contact with any minor children
- -extended counseling or treatment programs
- -restrict drug/alcohol use
There is hope to avoid a permanent felony conviction AND to avoid serving any time in the Hennepin County Jail/Workhouse.
What can be done to improve my position when negotiating with the prosecutor?
- -identify weaknesses in the Hennepin County Attorney's case against you and emphasis these weaknesses when negotiating a plea bargain with the prosecutor
- -Propose alternatives to jail such as community service, sentence to service (STS), or electronic home monitoring (EHM)
- -Complete diagnostic assessments prior to resolving criminal charges and follow recommendations of assessments
- -Demonstrate excellent pre-plea behavior in and outside of the courtroom
- -Pursue possible plea bargains that involve Stay of Imposition, which allows for a felony conviction to be reduced to a misdemeanor level conviction following successful discharge from Hennepin County Probation.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SOLICATION FAQ:
How can we fight a solicitation charge at trial?
- -Insufficiency or Lack of evidence - Did a crime actually occur based on the communication with the undercover police officer? Miscommunication or misunderstanding of an "agreement" could create legal hurdles any prosecutor must overcome to obtain a conviction.
- -Entrapment defense - Did the undercover police pressure you too much?
- -Procedural errors - did the undercover police officers violate your constitutional rights during the sting operation? Procedural errors may impact whether the case against you can move forward.
What's a "good" plea bargain on a gross misdemeanor solicitation charge in Hennepin County?
- -Avoid serving jail time at the county jail or workhouse
- -Persuade the prosecuting attorney and/or district court Judge to keep charges off your permanent record (continuance for dismissal, Stay of Adjudication, future expungement of conviction and arrest records)
- -Reduce charges to a lower-level offense (misdemeanor level conviction or Stay of Imposition
- -Minimize length of time, if any, on probation and level of probation (supervised or unsupervised probation)
- -Reduce financial penalties
- -Possible alternative resolutions involving diversion program (community service, Minnesota Prostitution Prevention on-line educational classes)
Generally, individuals charged and convicted of gross misdemeanor Solicitation in Hennepin County can avoid substantial, if any, time served in jail. Financial penalties can range from $500-$2,500 depending on the unique circumstances of your case.
