Pandering is crime that is closely related to the crime of pimping. It is a felony in California and a conviction may bring serious consequences for the person charged. When a person is charged with the crime of pandering, it is crucial that they hire an experienced criminal attorney who will zealously defend their rights and freedom.
The Law of Pandering
The California Penal Code defines the crime of pandering as:
- Procuring another person for the purposes of committing prostitution;
- Causing, persuading, or encouraging another person to become a prostitute by making promises or threats to him or her;
- Obtaining for another person a place in a house that is used for prostitution;
- Causing a person to remain in a house of prostitution or any other pace where prostitution is the main activity either by promise or threat.
- Procuring another person by threat or promise to:
- Work as prostitute;
- Enter any place where the crime of prostitution is committed;
- Come to or from the state for the purpose of committing the crime of prostitution; or
- Receiving, giving, or agreeing to receive or give, any money or other thing of value for a person to procure another to become a prostitute.
A person may be charged with the crime of pandering if he or she commits any one of or several acts that are listed above. There may be several acts that will constitute one single criminal charge of pandering against a person. The prosecution however cannot charge a person with multiple counts of pandering, as they need to establish a common scheme in order to sustain the charge. A criminal defense attorney will try to attack the pleadings in a pandering case and try to defend his client in that way.
Prostitution means any lewd act between persons for money or some other form of payment and does not have to include intercourse. Prostitution requires physical contact between the prostitute and the customer; without the physical contact, there is no prostitution crime, and as a consequence, there is no crime of pandering. This is something an experienced criminal lawyer can exploit on behalf of his client as the prostitution aspect of the case may be hard to prove for the government.
Punishment for Pandering
Pandering in California is a felony crime and can lead to a sentence of imprisonment in prison for three, four or six years.
If the person that is procured for prostitution is under the age 16, then the crime of pandering is punishable by imprisonment in state prison for three, six, or eight years, as well as by a $5,000 fine.
The punishment for pandering can be very harsh. For instance if a person is convicted, the California penal code states that person cannot be granted probation and is subject to the mandatory three-year minimum sentence in state prison. That is why is it is crucial to hire a criminal defense attorney as early in the process as possible.
We Can Help You Avoid Dire Consequences
As you can see above the consequences of a pandering conviction can be very harsh. People who are charged with this crime need zealous and aggressive representation by a criminal defense attorney who will. There are always options available to person charged with this crime that only a criminal lawyer who has experience with these type of charges can obtain.
At Sigal Law Group we have over a decade of experience handling all types of criminal cases and have been able to obtain amazing results for our clients. We are happy to have hundreds of happy clients who are free and not in prison as a result of our good work on criminal cases. No matter how strong you think the government's criminal case is against you, there are always options and possible defenses available. Call Sigal Law Group today for a free and confidential consultation. CALL TOLL FREE (888) 335-6008.