Hawaii high court reverses prostitution-related conviction

from Court House News, March 16, 2023

HONOLULU — The Hawaii Supreme Court overturned the conviction of a woman who was charged with promoting prostitution by benefiting from someone else’s prostitution. She paid for her and her friend to travel to Hawaii to engage in prostitution with the money her friend had made as a prostitute, but because the money she used was merely reimbursement for the travel and lodging expenses, it does not constitute “profit” from her friend’s criminal behavior.

PDF: RULING

BEST QUOTE FROM RULING: “CW testified that before Ferreira arrived, she gave Ibarra all of the money that she made from engaging in prostitution activities because “[n]ot only did [Ibarra] ask, but it only felt right because [Ibarra] had paid [CW’s] way to come to Hawaiʻi.”  After Ferreira arrived, CW testified that she gave all of the money that she made from prostitution activities directly to Ferreira.”