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Cracking Down on Johns to reduce Prostitution Demand

July 6th, 2015 by Mike Vasilinda

State lawmakers have increased the penalties for people soliciting prostitutes. A second offense now requires at least ten days in jail. And as Mike Vasilinda tells us, those convicted must also pay for and attend a “johns” school.

Prostitution is said to be the worlds oldest profession. But here’s something you don’t often see…The woman working the corner is an undercover cop. In this file footage we witnessed two johns being arrested in just a few hours before noon.

Now state lawmakers are trying to reduce demand for prostitutes

by upping the penalties for soliciting. Meg Baldwin of the Refuge House, counsels domestic violence victims and says the new legislation is a huge step forward.

“One is that the bill recognizes that buying someone for sex is harmful” says Baldwin.

The first offense is now punishable by up to a thousand dollar fine…up from 500. Second and third offenses become felonies.

First offenders will now serve a hundred hours of community service, but a second offense will get you ten days here in the county jail.

The legislation was hailed by State Representative Jeanette Nunez and the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking.

“the wives and spouses…this will certainly be a wake up call for them” said Nunez at at recent meeting.

Domestic Violence counselors are especially keen on provisions that require Johns to pay for and attend an education program on prostitution and sex trafficking.

“The rate, the recidivism rate among johns who received these kinds of interventions is nearly zero”  says Baldwin.

But for the law to succeed…police will need to divert more resources to enforcement…which hasn’t been on their front burner.

In 2013-14 only 336 people went to jail under the prostitution statute, but the statistics do not readily reveal how many of them were Johns.

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No More Quotas

July 2nd, 2015 by flanews

If you’ve ever seen what seems like a lot of cops going after speeders on a drive and said to yourself “I guess they have to meet their quota,” you can worry a little less now. AS Matt Galka tells us, a new law cracks down on quotas.

Juanita Boykin and her husband were on their way to Louisiana when we caught up with them at a rest stop on I-10.  She says they’re always aware of cops around holidays.

“I know they’re ready for us (laughs) speed devils,” she said.

While there are plenty of drivers out there who probably think law enforcement is trying to meet a certain number of tickets written every month, a new Florida law is a quota crackdown. It outlaws all law enforcement quotas and went into effect July 1st.

 

The law was inspired by a small North Florida town once considered one of the country’s worst speed traps

The Waldo Police Department was notorious for tickets.  Nearly half of the city’s revenue was coming from traffic tickets on U.S. 301. Triple A was even warning drivers to avoid the trap.

“When the people found out about it, they were upset, a lot of people were upset,” said Sen. Rob Bradley (R-Orange Park) the bill’s sponsor.

The new law outlaws all ticket quota systems at a state and local level, and requires local law enforcement to report revenues to the state.

“We don’t need to be in the law enforcement business because all we’re doing is just pulling people over and giving them tickets in order to support the operations of the law enforcement,” said Sen. Bradley.

Waldo police officers disclosed a ticket quota system last year for the busy road of U.S. 301. The Waldo police department disbanded in the fallout from the story.

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Fake Service Dog Legislation Takes Effect July First

July 1st, 2015 by Mike Vasilinda

Starting today, people using fake service dogs might find it a littler harder to pull off their scam. New Legislation gives businesses more flexibility, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the legislation also makes sure people with real disabilities aren’t mistreated.

Meet Lando….and owner Tiffany Baylor.  Tiffany is sight challenged.

“For me, I see my hands about there” says Tiffany, holding her hands out in front of her about six inches apart.

Tiffany and Lando are one of the reasons Florida has a new law on Fake Service dogs.

Carol Dover and The Florida Restaurant Association pushed for a change when it saw a trend of increasing abuse.

“We hears some of the strangest stories of people who believe their monkeys are service animals” says Dover.

Cracking down on those who abuse the system has gone nowhere for several years. But that changed last fall when Tiffany and Lando were harassed by guards at the state museum.

“The blind will not be dismissed.”

The video caused protests.

Tiffany got a quick apology. She’s since given sensitivity training to the guards who stopped her…but she says impostors are giving legitimate service dogs a bad name.

“People who pass their pets off as service are making people question and second guess us” complains the visually handicapped educator. Tiffany works for the Division of Blind Services.

Now watch what happens when Lando walks by this play area…then imagine what a pet dog might do. He ignores all the activity.

Service dogs, when they are working are all business…Scenes like this would never distract them.

“Their who consciousness is all about his job” says Tiffany.

But When Lando isn’t working…he can be just as playful as any other dog….

Nat sot; “ This is my dog when he’s off working”.

The bottom line. Focus is the easiest way to tell a real service dog from a fake.

The new legislation provides for up to 60 days in jail or a five hundred dollar fine for people who use a fake service dog or for merchants who refuse access to litigate service dogs. Someone convicted can also be ordered to do 30 hours of community service helping the disabled community.

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Abortion Law Back and Forth

July 1st, 2015 by flanews

A North Florida judge temporarily blocked a 24 hour abortion waiting period law from taking effect Wednesday, but the decision was immediately appealed. As Matt Galka tells us, that meant the law did apply to Floridians, but opponents continued the fight.

July 1st is typically a day where new laws take effect and plenty did in Florida.  130 new rules hit Floridians Wednesday, but at least 1 is up in the air.

The American Civil Liberties Union successfully challenged a 24 hour abortion waiting period law that had a July 1st start date. It requires women to wait 24 hours and make two visits to the clinic before they can get an abortion. A judge granted a temporary injunction late Tuesday.

 

“This law had absolutely no medical justification. It was completely grounded in politics, and at the end of the day the state was unable to satisfy it’s burden of showing why this law was medically necessary,” said ACLU Legal Director Nancy Abudu.

Attorney’s for the state argued last week that the law isn’t an added burden on women.

 

“This is still her decision to make, there is nothing in this law that is taking away her right to make a decision, the question of whether there’s a 24 hour wait giving her time to contemplate the full impact and ramifications of the decision is obviously what we’ve been talking about,” said Special Counsel Blaine Winship.

The judge didn’t agree. But soon after the ruling, Florida’s Attorney General appealed the decision. That meant the law went on the books Wednesday.  Clinics we called were following the rules for now.

 

The case is one of many challenges the state has had to defend against.

The legal challenge comes on the heels of a recently settled lawsuit between the state and ACLU over the Governor’s failed push to drug test welfare recipients and state workers. Taxpayers picked up the tab for legal fees. The cost was more than $1.5 million dollars.

The ACLU requested the judge put the injunction back into place while the challenge is deliberated.  Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office did not comment on pending litigation. The temporary pause on the lawsuit is only meant to provide clarity while the judge decides the overall case of whether or not the law is constitutional.

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