Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
Anthony Maness is being held on fifty thousand dollars cash bail after being arraigned in the Westborough District Court on charges of Deriving Support from a Prostitute and Trafficking Persons for Human Servitude. The thirty seven year old Framingham, Massachusetts man is alleged to have forced a couple of women to work as prostitutes in Worcester County. Authorities claim that Maness forced two women, ages eighteen and twenty to work for him. The younger of the two eventually escaped and made a report of Maness’s activities to police in Medford, Massachusetts. The investigation led officers to a motel in Connecticut where Maness was arrested.
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Massachusetts Human Trafficking Defense Lawyer
Massachusetts Prostitution Crimes Defense Law Firm
The crime of Human Trafficking is relatively new in Massachusetts. The law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265 Section 50 was passed in February of this year. The law states that anyone who uses, assists with, recruits or in any way promotes someone else to engage in sexual activity for commercial purposes, including live performances of a sexually explicit nature or pornography has committed the crime of Trafficking of Persons for Sexual Servitude. The punishment for a conviction of this offense is a mandatory five years in state prison. If the victim is under the age of eighteen then there is a possible life sentence that can be imposed after a conviction. This law is much tougher than the other crime with which Maness was charged, Deriving Support from Prostitution. That law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 272 Section 7 has a maximum five year sentence and no minimum mandatory. That statute encompasses Pimping Laws in Massachusetts which is much less broad than the Massachusetts Human Trafficking Law. The Massachusetts Human Trafficking Law is so new that there is no case law interpreting, explaining or qualifying the statute at this time. This makes your choice of who you hire to defend you extremely important. You want someone who has experience challenging the constitutionality of new laws.
So what is going to happen to Mr. Maness? A lot depends on the willingness of the victims to testify. Are they credible? Can anyone or anything corroborate their disclosures? Do they have a motive to lie against him? How was it that Maness was able to prevent them from escaping prior to the time that one of the women went to the Medford Police Station to make her report? What criminal history do these women have, if any? Any Experienced Criminal Lawyer practicing in Massachusetts will want to investigate the answers to these questions and more while preparing his defense of a Massachusetts Sex Offense.
The Law Offices of Stephen Neyman has handled Sex Crimes Cases in Massachusetts for over twenty years. Our results are unmatched. If you are facing criminal charges you need a lawyer. Call us at 617-263-6800 to discuss your case. You can also send us an email.