Her Crime? Sex Work in New Orleans

[lewisipso]

Tabitha has been working as a prostitute in New Orleans since she was 13. Now 30 years old, she can often be found working on a corner just outside of the French Quarter. A small and slight white woman, she has battled both drug addiction and illness and struggles every day to find a meal or a place to stay for the night.
These days, Tabitha, who asked that her real name not be used in this story, has yet another burden: a stamp printed on her driver’s license labels her a sex offender. Her crime? Sex work.New Orleans city police and the district attorney’s office are using a state law written for child molesters to charge hundreds of sex workers like Tabitha as sex offenders. The law, which dates back to 1805, makes it a crime against nature to engage in “unnatural copulation”—a term New Orleans cops and the district attorney’s office have interpreted to mean anal or oral sex. Sex workers convicted of breaking this law are charged with felonies, issued longer jail sentences and forced to register as sex offenders. They must also carry a driver’s license with the label “sex offender” printed on it.
Her Crime? Sex Work in New Orleans By Jordan Flaherty

[Shoestring]

You know I am torn on this subject

I myself would never go this route but if someone used a hooker so they could do whatever they wish instead of commit crimes of rape etc. so be it.

Make it a taxable business for government to make more money, like the bunny ranch in NV.

I dont know, have to control it though so diesease etc. does not spread

[MacLean]

The law, which dates back to 1805, makes it a crime against nature to engage in “unnatural copulation”—a term New Orleans cops and the district attorney’s office have interpreted to mean anal or oral sex.

Guilty.

[IndianaFuzz]

Guilty.

You're a sex offender now, Mac! hehehe

[Odd]

On the upside, if Louisiana bans sex offenders from social networks, Tabitha will be saved from being exposed to Facebook.

If you support this I'd be interested to hear why.

[213th]

Guilty.

Article 125 of the UCMJ.....

[lewisipso]

On the upside, if Louisiana bans sex offenders from social networks, Tabitha will be saved from being exposed to Facebook.

If you support this I'd be interested to hear why.

I am supportive of sex offenders being policed, period. I am a huge fan of parental involvement of children being supervised while online or don't let them online. I see the need to police prostitution. The standard reasons. Spreading disease, rape, endangerment etc. However I am not necessarily a fan of branding them sex offenders.

[MacLean]

I am supportive of sex offenders being policed, period. I am a huge fan of parental involvement of children being supervised while online or don't let them online. I see the need to police prostitution. The standard reasons. Spreading disease, rape, endangerment etc. However I am not necessarily a fan of branding them sex offenders.

I'm not a fan of applying unconstitutional laws about what kind of sex someone can have.

[countybear]

As with most situations, enter the reasonability of the police officer...

Real world experience in this State tells me that I have never, ever, seen someone criminally charged for having whatever consentual sexual intercourse they personally prefer, as long as it falls within the bounds of reason. (Let's not do the "what is reasonable..." thing here, either. Just insert common sense here _____).

Sorry... I refuse to have a heartbleed because a prostitute is registered as a sex offender. She qualifies well enough for me, under whatever way you wish to apply the statute.

Show me a guy who's wife or girlfriend got pissy and files a formal report that he likes oral sex or giving it to her in the can, (which she took part in under the duress of losing his affections, or whatever), and I'll say that neither should have to register, but a hooker being tagged? Meh...

Yes, the letter of the law is... blah blah. I've honestly never seen a cop charge someone with what they do in the privacy of their own home, or in a personal relationship (non-forced, and with someone capable of consent). That, to me, makes this story once again a large whine about... nothing.