Justices question Southern Nevada anti-prostitution ordinance
Oct 19, 2005, 01:30 PM PDT
State Supreme Court justices questioned Wednesday whether high school
cheerleaders trying to flag down motorists for a car wash might run
afoul of a broadly written ordinance targeting pushy Las Vegas-area
prostitutes.
Justices Michael Douglas and Ron Parraguirre raised the possibility
during a hearing on an appeal filed by Lani Silvar, charged under the
Clark County ordinance with misdemeanor "loitering for the purpose of
prostitution."
While the high court's ruling won't be issued until a later date,
Parraguirre expressed concern that the ordinance is too broad. He says
an arrest would be based on, "essentially a hunch" by an officer that
an illegal act of prostitution might occur.
Under the ordinance, police can arrest someone who "repeatedly beckons
to, stops, attempts to stop or engage persons passing by in
conversation, or repeatedly stops or attempts to stop motor vehicle
operators by hailing, waiving of arms or other bodily gestures."
Susan Burke, Silvar's lawyer, says that wording criminalizes totally
legal behavior and could lead to the arrest of people going out of
their way to get a date with someone else.