{PBJFlorida} Update on Protections of Human Trafficking Victims

Very Important Update Regarding Assistance to Victims of Human Trafficking

Rep. Ross Spano, of Florida House District 59, is enthusiastically sponsoring a vacating convictions bill in the Florida House of Representatives. Sex trafficking victims are compelled to engage in acts of prostitution by their trafficker, which sometimes results in victims being arrested, prosecuted, and convicted of prostitution-related offenses by law enforcement.  Such convictions also include drug-related offenses, as sex traffickers commonly control their victims through forced drug-use as well as other coercive methods. As a result, these victims are hindered from getting decent jobs, safe housing, immigration visas, loans, continuing with education and other prospects for rebuilding their lives even after they are rescued. A vacating convictions law for sex trafficking victims will provide a mechanism to have those convictions removed from the victim’s record so they can begin to move on with their lives.

It's important to know that vacating is not the same as expungement! Florida has an expungement law in place, but expungement only provides for the elimination or destruction of the criminal record. Vacating a judgment would in effect place the victim in the position he or she was in prior to the conviction. With expungement, the victim is still be required to answer a question on a job application regarding prior convictions affirmatively, while a vacated conviction would reverse the conviction, with the effect being that the conviction never occurred. This is why this vacating convictions law is so critical!

What can you do to help? We need every individual statewide to express support for this law to their Florida Senators and Representatives via emails, telephone calls, faxes, etc. We also need every organization to mobilize its members to do the same.

We will update you on the progress of this critical legislation whenever there is news to tell. In the meantime, if you would like more information, please contact Brent at the Law Office of Brent Woody via email at brent@brentwoodylaw.com<mailto:brent@brentwoodylaw.com> or Pamela Woody at pamela@tampabayadvocates.com<mailto:pamela@tampabayadvocates.com>.

Thank you for supporting this important issue.