Nevada Pandering Laws (NRS 201.300)

Las Vegas Criminal Defense Attorneys

The Nevada crime of pandering (commonly called "pimping") is a felony, which mandates much harsher penalties than the misdemeanor crime of prostitution in Las Vegas. In addition to carrying high fines and prison time, a pandering conviction looks terrible on your criminal record and can cause prospective employers to not hire you for a job.

This article provides an overview of pimping and pandering law in Clark County as well as what our Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers can do to help your case. If you're facing charges for pandering in Nevada, you're invited to call us anytime at 702-DEFENSE (702-333-3673) for a free phone meeting on how we can help put this rough time behind you.

Legal definition of pandering in Nevada

Pandering means to encourage, force or otherwise arrange for someone else to engage in prostitution. It doesn't matter whether the alleged pandering involved violence, whether the supposed victim ended up having sexual relations, or whether any money exchanged hands . . . merely facilitating the solicitation of prostitution qualifies as pandering in Nevada.

The definition of pandering also comprises the acts of transporting someone with the intent they engage in prostitution or detaining someone in a brothel because of debts they may have. And although it doesn't frequently come into play in Nevada, pandering also includes forcing someone to get married. The common names for panderers are "pimps" or "madams."

Defenses

Several Las Vegas pimping and pandering cases come down to a "he said, she said" situation, leaving prosecutors with very little hard evidence to prove the charge. If the criminal attorney can persuade them that the evidence would be insufficient to win at trial, they may be amenable to dismissing the case or else reducing it to a lesser charge like breaching the peace in Clark County, which is only a misdemeanor in Nevada. Other defenses an attorney may explore using include:

• Any money that was exchanged did not have to do with prostitution.



• Mistaken identity:  The person accused of pandering was not the real panderer.



• The police committed misconduct in carrying out the arrest or investigating the case.



• The suspect was falsely accused out of revenge, anger or misunderstanding.

Penalties

Nevada pandering law carries different felony sentencing schemes depending upon the specific circumstances of the case, such as whether it involved children or if violence was used.

Pandering an adult

Compelling any adult (including your spouse) to become a prostitute with the use of physical force or the immediate threat thereof is a category C felony carrying the following punishment:

• 1 to 5 years in prison, and



• Maybe a fine of up to $10,000

But if the alleged panderer did not use physical force (or the immediate threat of physical force), it's a category D felony carrying the following punishment:

• 1 to 4 years in prison, and



• Maybe a fine of up to $5,000

Pandering a child (under 18)

Forcing a child to become a prostitute with the use of physical force (or the immediate threat of physical force) is a category B felony carrying the following sentence:

• 2 to 20 years in prison, and



• Maybe a fine of up to $20,000, and



• If the child was fourteen to seventeen years old, maybe an additional penalty of up to $100,000. And if the child was thirteen years old or younger, maybe an additional penalty of up to $500,000.

If no physical force (or the immediate threat of physical force) was used in the alleged pandering, it's still a category B felony but carries a lesser punishment of:

• 1 to 10 years in prison, and



• Maybe a fine of up to $10,000, and



• If the child was fourteen to seventeen years old, maybe an additional penalty of up to $100,000. And if the child was thirteen years old or younger, maybe an additional penalty of up to $500,000.

Any assets derived from an alleged act of child prostitution in Nevada may also be forfeited. (NRS 201.351)

Living off the earnings of a prostitute in Nevada (NRS 201.320)

Anyone who knowingly receives proceeds from another's act of prostitution even if he/she had no direct dealings with the prostitute and technically didn't pander may be charged with a category D felony in Nevada. The sentence includes:

• 1 to 4 years in prison, and



• Maybe a fine of up to $5,000

Immigration consequences

Undocumented aliens will be removed from the U.S. if they're suspected of any prostitution-related behavior such as pandering. And because pandering is an aggravated felony as well as a crime involving moral turpitude in Nevada, legal aliens may face deportation for a pandering conviction as well.

If you're a non-citizen who's been accused of any crime in Nevada, it's imperative you hire criminal defense counsel right away who's also skilled in immigration law. Your lawyer's goal should be try to get the case dismissed or at least changed to a non-removable offense so your resident status remains intact.

We're here to protect you . . .

If you've been charged with pandering or any other Nevada crime, our Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers will do everything within our power to try to get your charges reduced if not dismissed outright so your criminal record stays clean. Call us for a FREE consultation at 702-DEFENSE (702-333-3673) TODAY.

To learn about California pandering laws, go to our article on California pandering laws.

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