First I must congratulate this brave
defendant that suffered through something that is unimaginable to
most people! Marie McKinlay was cleared on charges of running a
prostitution racket (controlling prostitution for gain) in London and
according to the Daily Mail, "sobbed with relief" when the
jury delivered the not guilty verdicts. She had an intelligent jury
that could see through the case that prosecutors presented:
I used to hold a title of sorts for
being the only escort business owner in the world (as far as I am
aware) to be found not guilty by jury verdict on charges of operating
an organized prostitution ring. In the US this is referred to as
"organized crime" and RICO (racketeer influenced corrupt
organization) charges filed. Now I am just the title holder in the
US. In both situations the case was presented as the escorts or
prostitutes being "employees" of the agency when in
reality, it was much the opposite.
I have no idea what sort of penalty
Marie McKinlay faced, but I faced a possible sentence of up to 60
years in a Florida prison. In Florida the two charges I was on trial
for are first degree felonies. I will imagine that the potential
penalties are much less in London, where the act of prostitution is
absolutely legal for the prostitute.
Anyone in the UK have an idea of the
possible penalty that Marie could have received if found guilty by
the jury?
This case is also representative of why
a defendant should take the case to a jury if that defendant knows
the case was improperly charged, the business structure was set-up
correctly, and they're not guilty of the charges and willing to
testify. Marie's willingness to testify was extremely important. If a
defendant is unwilling to swear to the truth under questioning on the
stand in trial, then a jury knows no more than what the prosecutors
claim.
I see that Marie is smiling and happy
as she walked away from the court. I ran (literally) from the
courthouse after collecting my paperwork and speaking with my
attorney for a few moments. Marie is pregnant and could not run or
most likely would have. We must ask ourselves why prosecutors often
pursue those that deserve it the least. There is always a hidden
agenda.
I cry for you as I type this Marie. It
brings back memories and a flood of emotion.
Congratulations to Marie McKinlay!
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