Human Trafficking

As one of the newer crimes in the law books, human trafficking is also one of the most overcharged.  Many of the defendants are wrongly and unjustly prosecuted for this offense simply to make a point or send a message.  This is a crime that generates a lot of media attention, and therefore detectives and prosecutors are itching to charge and convict.  But in reality, many of the defendants that are charged were either completely innocent or engaging in the much lesser offense of prostitution.  Eliminate the risk of jail time or a conviction for this serious offense by hiring an attorney with experience and success in these types of cases.  Benjamin Herbst has represented dozens of defendants charged with various prostitution crimes.  He has taken these cases to jury trial and has won outright, having recently secured a not guilty verdict in a human trafficking case in Baltimore County.  Benjamin is available seven days a week to discuss your case, and how he can help you defeat the charges and regain your freedom.

The human trafficking statute is listed in section 11-303 of the state criminal code.  It is currently classified as a misdemeanor, but it carries a ten-year maximum jail sentence.  If a minor is involved it becomes a felony with a 25-year maximum sentence.  Unlike other misdemeanors such as assault, a defendant who is convicted of this offense faces a very real risk of going to prison.  In the eyes of judges and prosecutors the name of the crime sounds worse that it is, and this is especially true on the state level.  The feds prosecute large-scale human trafficking rings where people are actually bought and sold, while state and local law enforcement typically investigate small time vice crimes and prostitution rings.  The problem is that the Maryland human trafficking law has a very general definition, which many times leads to police detectives unjustly arresting a person for it.  The statue makes it illegal to take a person to a place of prostitution or harbor a person at a place where this type of activity is going on.  There is no requirement that anyone be held against his or her will, and the person charged does not actually have to be at the scene of an alleged crime.  Cops will charge anyone they believe is making money off prostitution or has aided it in any way.  We have seen innocent friends and aquantences charged after the cops accuse them of being pimps, but this type of case will not hold up in court with the help of an experienced lawyer!

Benjamin Herbst is committed to taking on the state and federal government in all types of criminal charges, and has extensive experience with prostitution crimes.  He never takes on a case expecting his client to plead guilty.  He does the opposite.  Each case will be meticulously analyzed for defects and insufficient evidence, and if the prosecutor will not drop all charges there will be no hesitation in taking the case before a jury.  Contact Benjamin at 410-207-2598 for a free consultation, and let him take the fight to the government.