This story, via Feministe, is truly bizarre:
A DEFENDANT accused of forcing a prostitute at gunpoint to have sex with him and three other men got lucky, so to speak, last week.
A Philadelphia judge dropped all sex and assault charges at his preliminary hearing.
Municipal Judge Teresa Carr Deni instead held the defendant on the bizarre charge of armed robbery for – get this – “theft of services.”
Unbelievable.
Deni told me she based her decision on the fact that the prostitute consented to have sex with the defendant.
“She consented and she didn’t get paid . . . I thought it was a robbery.”
And before I get smeared as being objectively pro-rape, let me assert I am quite comfortable with the notion that if someone says no, and you force them to have sex, even if they are a prostitute, it should be considered rape. That being said, I can see the Judge’s point- to some extent, although I think rape charges should still have been filed.
At the very least, shouldn’t he also be charged with soliciting a prostitute? And she with prostitution? Those are laws I do not agree with, but they are, in fact laws, and the two have admitted to those ‘crimes.’
The whole thing is just weird and sick.
*** Update ***
More here at Shakes.
And it only took six comments before someone seems to think I agree with the judge. I don’t. I think rape charges should have been pursued. I hope that is clear enough, because I will be god damned if I spend the next two years hearing nitwits misrepresent my position on this.