View Full Version : OMFG Raided and Arrested!!! ???!
*Iris*
09-11-2008, 08:41 AM
Omg ! Wow im so sorry *hugs* I have danced for a cop before in San Antonio but thank god I knew he was . When I danced for him I did a complete air dance and never took my clothes off. I was freaking out! and even with doing the air dance he was moaning and kept saying my name. I was like dude im not even touching you! and kept asking me if there was more.
CKXXX
09-11-2008, 09:54 AM
OMG that really sucks honey. With all the REAL extras I hear are in Dallas for them to arrest YOU for THAT is just insane. They could have gotten so many other girls for ACTUAL offenses and they target one of the girls who ISNT offering extras?????
Ugh...I agree with getting your own attorney,but be prepared for the charge to stick. Find an attorney that will take you on a contingency basis...if you dont win anything,you dont owe him anything.
Good luck and keep us updated.
AlexisXTC461
09-11-2008, 09:57 AM
wow...thats horrible...just sending lots and lots of <<<<<<hugs>>>>>>
MeanGirl
09-11-2008, 09:59 AM
Find an attorney that will take you on a contingency basis...if you dont win anything,you dont owe him anything.
Yeah...that is totally not gonna happen:-\. Seriously you need to not stress, it is what it is. I was scared to death, but now that it's over it wasn't really a big deal and I wish I didn't invest so much time trying to fight it , when it was hopeless. Sorry,not trying to be a downer. You never know though, Texas could be different.
BrodieLux
09-11-2008, 10:09 AM
**Hugs**
LuckyOne
09-11-2008, 10:09 AM
<hugs>
velvet
09-11-2008, 10:44 AM
Find an attorney that will take you on a contingency basis...if you dont win anything,you dont owe him anything.
Good luck and keep us updated.
no way now how is that going to happen. unless it is a monetary settlement.
also see if you can find an attorney that specializes in first amendment/ adult entertainment. there are several in fl and as many clubs as texas has maybe you can find one there. these guys will also understand that you may need to make some payments
Sophia_Ashley
09-11-2008, 11:11 AM
^ Agree with Velvet. You aren't suing, you are defending yourself and attempting to get a lesser charge if you can't get the charge dropped. You'll have to pony up the funds to get an attorney.
scarymary77
09-11-2008, 11:19 AM
i'm sorry hun! big hugs to you!!! wow what a fucking waste of our taxpayer dollars! makes me so angry that while rapists and murderers go free, we must put strippers in jail. (insert sarcasm-->) wow, i feel so much safer that a stripper isnt somewhere drinking champagne with no top on!!!
txchick008
09-11-2008, 11:26 AM
****Updates****Just got off the phone with another friend of mine that works with me up there (it's 1:00pm, Thursday afternoon). She checked in at the front and went back to the DR. Apparently, undercover cops were INSIDE the club right at that moment (yes, right NOW).
Several girls had been approached this afternoon, and asked the same question several times, worded the same way. The questions were about extras, and how much for each extra, etc.
Needless to say, my friend made up an excuse, and left immediatly. I can't believe this! She has been working at The Men's Club off/on for the past 12 years. She has danced at just about every club in DFW and said Men's was the best, and one of the reasons, is because it was never "hot" (as far as being raided, etc). I guess times are changing.
MeanGirl....I think I'll be seeing you at The Lodge this weekend :) I'm not going anywhere near Men's until this cools down.
PS: There is also speculation (it's a SC, of course there is!), that the cops were alerted recently by a girl who was recently fired for being overweight. Apparently the timing matches up. Then again, it could just be crap. Who knows.
Sophia_Ashley
09-11-2008, 11:29 AM
You guys that shit sucks. I know I complain a lot about the lack of clubs here in Chicago but shit lack of is better than worrying about "busts". My thoughts are with you guys.Nothing worse than trying to find a new club with an influx of other strippers attempting to do the same.
On the brightside at least this wasn't around the end or the first of the month so bills shouldn't be so bad and a ton of girls working every night.
Back when I was on the "other" side of legal with working ...I had a few rules..
1. mind my P's and Q's Sept -Nov. (election time)
2. ^ See above.
Havana
09-11-2008, 11:29 AM
So sorry this happened, my good vibes and best of luck to are being sent you way.
That's total bull.
MeanGirl
09-11-2008, 11:30 AM
Did she tell you what they were asking? What has me worried is our club plays the most random and unrecognizable(sp) song to alert us of vice. I'm always worried I wont hear it.
txchick008
09-11-2008, 11:31 AM
^^
She said they were asking questions directly related to extras, and "how much" an extra would cost. You would think you would be safe if you turn down extras and obey the rules, but I guess what happened to Phairestofthemall proves that wrong. They will nail you for anything it seems.
MeanGirl
09-11-2008, 11:33 AM
On the brightside at least this wasn't around the end or the first of the month so bills shouldn't be so bad and a ton of girls working every night.
Oh but now we have a shit ton girls from hella everywhere b/c our club was voted the best at the Gentleman's convention in Vegas. I hardly recognize anyone the last few days.
CKXXX
09-11-2008, 11:59 AM
no way now how is that going to happen. unless it is a monetary settlement.
Crap..thats true..wasnt thinking about that. I was just thinking of the lawyer a friend of mine used that I will be calling myself...but both mine and hers were about monetary settlements. Damn. Sorry.
Sophia_Starina
09-11-2008, 10:48 PM
1. mind my P's and Q's Sept -Nov. (election time)
2. ^ See above.
Shoot..... I was raided July! Boo! >:( election years!
CuriousSeeker
09-11-2008, 11:01 PM
Does anyone know of like a Web site or something that spells out what exactly is legal where?
I had little success in looking for the state and local township ordinances regarding SCs/adult industry for my club. I constantly want to hear it "from the horse's mouth" instead of hearing it from others at the club, who may inadvertently not truly know the law. I couldn't find it (maybe if I had access to a paid legal database like Lexis?).
lildreamer316
09-11-2008, 11:24 PM
I had little success in looking for the state and local township ordinances regarding SCs/adult industry for my club. I constantly want to hear it "from the horse's mouth" instead of hearing it from others at the club, who may inadvertently not truly know the law. I couldn't find it (maybe if I had access to a paid legal database like Lexis?).
Well, actually, if there isn't a database, ya know, we should create one.
Often, law enforcement will rely on the fact that dancers and even owners are not aware of the local laws and ordinances and take advantage of that to indimdate and scare us. Of course, it also works to the owner's advantage that his girls may not know what they are really allowed to do or NOT to do, because then he makes more money. As 'empowered strippers' we should be educating ourselves more about this.
I'm getting ready to start my own website, I may utilize a few pages at some point for this. Hmmmmmmmmmm....
venusace138
09-12-2008, 12:50 AM
A guy in a wheelchair is not going to be a cop, but as far as them having to be fit, that is simply not true. There are A LOT of overweight and out-of-shape cops. So don't let that guide you.
OMG! I thought they had to be able to you know...... RUN to catch criminals! lol
So are there geriatric cops too? :D
MeanGirl
09-12-2008, 12:59 AM
You girls should come to the Lodge this week. I asked my managers and they said they got the heads up that vice was gonna be at Mens all week. They aren't coming to the Lodge according to my guys.
Melonie
09-12-2008, 02:19 AM
Sorry to take so long to respond, but I just caught this thread ...
A. it's an election year, and apparently somebody is looking to gain political brownie points to help their campaign
B. I would almost guarantee that any sexually related misdemeanor conviction will result in the denial of a dancer's license (renewal)
C. You're going to be faced with a choice early on ... whether to accept a 'plea bargain' to a lesser charge. It's up to you to determine whether the lesser charge being offered will still result in your being denied a dancer's license - because the problem of a sexually related charge on your record will also haunt you in getting a dancer's license in other cities besides Dallas. But accepting a plea bargain will in all probility result in zero jail time and a manageable fine. However, it also means a lengthy probation, an admission of guilt on your part thus no future legal appeals - and if you are ever busted again it counts as a prior offense.
D. If you reject the plea bargain, the next step will be going to a local court in front of a jury made up of straight-laced housewives, bible thumping retirees, civil servants who work for the city of Dallas etc. and a local yokel judge. They will call you up to testify. They will also call the cop who busted you to testify. In the absence of some HARD evidence showing what you did or did not do (like a club security tape), this will devolve into a 'he said, she said' situation ... with the jury then being forced to choose to believe a well respected local cop or a stereotype 'stripper'. If the jury finds you guilty, there is a possibility that you'll be sentenced to a short amount of jail time (Texas cities like to do that to 'teach sluts a lesson') and/or a much larger fine. Such is the price of a stereotype 'stripper' ( the lying, thieving, drug addicted whore who would say or do anything in her own behalf that the jury members have all seen in Hollywood movies ) 'wasting the court's time' by attempting to claim she was innocent. Of course there is also a chance that the DA will drop the charges rather than going to trial, as well as the chance that the jury will believe you over the word of the cop, but in truth the odds of these are pretty damn low.
E. If you decide to go to trial and are found guilty, there is then the option of filing an appeal. At the appellate level, there isn't any jury of angry housewives or bible thumping retirees involved, just a panel of judges who will look at the transcript of the previous local trial and make a decision based on the LAW and FACTS not personal impressions. At this point, unless the cop has actual HARD EVIDENCE against you (like a video tape of his own), odds are that the charges will be dismissed. However, to file an appeal usually requires at least several thousand dollars in legal fees, and the club is NOT going to help in financing an appeal.
Now it just so happens that I do know of a Dallas attorney who handled some similar problems for a couple of feature dancers I have worked with in the past. His name is Everett Newton and he's a fairly high profile figure in Dallas since he was also a radio DJ and tied in with the entertainment scene. Check out .
If you are prepared to quit dancing, and are short of money, then exploring the plea bargain would represent the easiest and least costly way out. However, if you want to continue dancing in Dallas and other cities that require a license, you need to be prepared to go through both a local trial and an appeal. You may conceivably be able to jump straight to a plea bargain at the appellate level and avoid the bullshit of the local trial that wouldn't result in a charge which would prevent you from getting a dancer's license (renewed). But where any appellate level legal work is involved, the legal fees are not going to be cheap and the club is not going to help to defray the expense.
I also had a look at the Public Lewdness charge ( which IS a class A misdemeanor) and the penal code showing a max $4000 fine (which won't happen but $1,000-$2,000 might depending on the local trial judge) and max one year in jail (which would never happen but 7-15-30 days might depending on the local trial judge). I looked farther down the penal code and saw that a SECOND class A misdemeanor conviction brings into play a mandatory 90 day jail sentence and mandatory $4000 fine. The latter would worry me a whole lot if I was going to continue dancing in the same city ... because local cops may make it a point to (bogusly) charge you again 6 months down the road.
It's ironic that, the way Texas sex crime laws are written, you may be in a situation of being offered a plea bargain DOWN to a Prostitution charge (which is only a class B misdemeanor) ! It's also ironic that dancers who are actually providing sex acts for money in the club are both faced with less serious charges, and in a better financial position to actually beat the rap by filing an (expensive) appeal. But such is the nature of the business these days.
~
kittytheflamingo
09-12-2008, 03:27 AM
Fight it. It may be costly, but do you really want this haunting you the rest of your life? 6 years ago my dad plea bargained for something he didn't do out of financial worry, and we're still dealing with it. Almost everything I made the first two years of dancing went just to our surviving (it took away his career and ruined his name), and I would have much rather it had gone to a lawyer.
All my support- this must be terrible for you and all my thoughts are with you. If you need a shoulder, feel free to pm me.
txchick008
09-12-2008, 05:45 AM
Ughh....g-damn girl. I am still so upset over all of this. I'm glad you got some rest last night and chilled out. Freedom is something we so often take totally for granted. You have my deepest sympathy for making it through the hell of that Dallas jail. For those of you who don't know. our downtown jail (Lew Sterret), is one of the worst in the country. The conditions are absolutely terrible, inmates turn up dead all the time, and there is A TON of corruption in the city of Dallas. When I heard she went down there, I was like OMG. That's one of my biggest fears.
Talk about throwing us a curve ball. I planned to work Thu/Fri/Sat, and now I'm just going back and forth in my head (you know my particular situation). Not sure it would be worth it - dancing anywhere right now. I can't take that chance. It might be back on the webcam for me for awhile. TOTALLY safe, and the money was as good as dancing - just gets boring after a few hours of sitting on the cam. Anyhow, call me or text...keep me updated! *hugs*
I'm still considering The Lodge, but who's to say they won't hit over there as well. No one expected this at Men's. It's always been a very safe place as far as raids go. It's just not 100% safe anywhere.
Kabukicho
09-12-2008, 07:05 AM
I'm so sorry phairest.
winterrose
09-12-2008, 08:06 AM
fight it
Melonie
09-12-2008, 09:32 AM
maybe I'm mistaken, but isn't the Clubhouse outside of Dallas city limits ... thus beyond the reach of Dallas vice ?
MeanGirl
09-12-2008, 10:46 AM
B. I would almost guarantee that any sexually related misdemeanor conviction will result in the denial of a dancer's license (renewal)
I have a class C misdemeanor on my record for the same thing Phairest was arrested(public lewdness) for and I am able to work in Dallas and also have my liscensing etc. for Vegas. I think it has to be a felony to prevent you from working as a dancer, or be prostitution(which is a felony i think).
MeanGirl
09-12-2008, 11:35 AM
OMG!!! I just googled some, and turns out I did NOT catch a break with my charge- it's actually WORSE than prostitution!! Prostitution is class B unless you're a repeat offender, this is class A- they're saying I actually fucked him?! WTH isn't he in jail too then?! O.o Gotta fight this now, o PLEASE GOD let them have camera tape. /WTFstress
I just saw this(and completely read mels post about the penal codes)! I can't believe that! How is this worse than prostitution? I guess mine was a class C b/c it was in OKlahoma? I know in OKlahoma prostitution is a felony. That is freakin unbelieveable bullshit.
txchick008
09-12-2008, 12:36 PM
maybe I'm mistaken, but isn't the Clubhouse outside of Dallas city limits ... thus beyond the reach of Dallas vice ?
The Clubhouse is inside the Dallas city limits.
It is policed by the Northwest Division of the DPD. They actually have quite a few undercover narcotics agents in there at different times - AND vice (I know this for sure).
Melonie
09-12-2008, 02:11 PM
It is policed by the Northwest Division of the DPD. They actually have quite a few undercover narcotics agents in there at different times - AND vice (I know this for sure).
sorry ... I know that one of the features told me that it wasn't the same cops as in downtown Dallas cuz she was worried about her act 'stretching' local laws. Different cops apparently but no better I guess.
I just saw this(and completely read mels post about the penal codes)! I can't believe that! How is this worse than prostitution? I guess mine was a class C b/c it was in OKlahoma? I know in OKlahoma prostitution is a felony. That is freakin unbelieveable bullshit.
I would also speculate that in most licensing jurisdictions, they WILL check with the girl's home state for prior convictions that are listed in the dancer's license ordinance ... typically including prostitution, drugs, theft, violation of a different city's strip club ordinance etc. But yes every licensing ordinance probably has a different list of 'priors' they are worried about, and also probably draws the line in a different place in regard to various classes of misdemeanors they worry about. In fact I'm surprised that you didn't catch a lot of flak when applying for licenses in Dallas and Vegas with a 'lewd conduct' misdemeanor on your record. Then again, if 'lewd conduct' isn't specifically listed in the local dancer's licensing ordinance ...
But I can guaran-f#@kin-tee you that a felony 'prior' will disqualify you for a dancer's license anywhere.
As to being unbelievable, yup absolutely ! I heard some horrific stories about Dallas cops and courts from a couple of feature dancers ... along the very same lines that Phairest described. However, Phairest does have one advantage in that she is a local resident, as opposed to a feature whose home state is 1000+ miles away.
MeanGirl
09-12-2008, 02:17 PM
^^ In Vegas they were confused b/c they said a public lewdness charge is really bad there basically the same as prostitution), but they called OK and verified that it was a lesser offense and I got the liscenses. And my OKlahoma background checks for Dallas were just cleared as well.
Honey71783
09-12-2008, 02:37 PM
Maybe we should have a whole discussion area dedicated to different legal issues that we encounter and, laws and ordinances that we are aware of for our counties? Just like we have different discussions dedicated to Hustling, Body Stuff, and Stripping General, we should have one devoted clearly towards Legal Stuff and Relevant Issues. I think it's a great idea.
txchick008
09-12-2008, 02:43 PM
sorry ... I know that one of the features told me that it wasn't the same cops as in downtown Dallas cuz she was worried about her act 'stretching' local laws. Different cops apparently but no better I guess.
Yeah, it's a totally different "beat", but the whole city falls under the same laws.
Honey71783
09-12-2008, 09:25 PM
Can you get arrested as a customer for "lewd and lascivious behavior?" When I had just turned 21, freshly graduated from college. (I barely knew I was I alive, I was so young and had been sheltered for years). Anyway, I went to a stip club (as a customer) with my boyfriend. This was the second time that I had been in a strip club my entire life. Anway, we got really messed up and I took him back to VIP. We were at the entrance way of VIP and customers in the main area could still see us. I took my top off and road his lap for an entire song. Then we moved to the room next to us with heavy making out. I remember that when we were done, my boyfriend exited the room. I was still in the room putting on my bra amd shirt. Then this short, Napolean-type guy walked in and was just looking at me inquisitively and then he left. After reading this post, I am freaked out that I could of been arrested for humping my boyfriend in VIP at the bobble-headed age of 21.
MeanGirl
09-12-2008, 09:31 PM
^^Absolutely. The customer who was involved in my situation went to jail too, and her boyfriend was arrested b/c he kept asking what she did wrong. Their charges were reduced to disruption of the peace.
txchick008
09-13-2008, 05:30 PM
I haven't been to work since this happened. I need to! Now if all this f'ing rain and wind would slow down, that'd be great. ::)
NewMoon
09-13-2008, 05:33 PM
I'm so sorry to hear this. What a nightmare! I find humour in the fact that "lewdness" is a crime in a SC. Come on!
CuriousSeeker
09-13-2008, 11:47 PM
I'm so sorry to hear this. What a nightmare! I find humour in the fact that "lewdness" is a crime in a SC. Come on!
I don't get what the OP did that the cop thought was the "lewd" act specifically. Phairest, has this been explained yet? Or maybe I'm missing something? [I'm returning to this thread sans caffeine.]
txchick008
09-14-2008, 05:51 AM
^^
She was never told. She said she asked repeatedly, and they kept telling her, "you'll find out later".
I smell BS.
Melonie
09-14-2008, 07:00 AM
^^^ based on my read of the Texas state law, the charge will probably be based on 'sexual contact'. Unfortunately this is open to a wide legal interpretation i.e. contact of any part of the dancer's body with the customer's 'private' area, even through clothing, would probably suffice (i.e. technically something as innocent as the dancer's hair falling in the customer's lap). And in the final analysis it really doesn't matter WHAT sort of contact actually took place. After all, Texas legal interpretations are so wide that two dancers were successfully busted for prostitution while dancing on stage together - one dancer touched the other dancer's breast while customers were tipping at the rail - sexual contact in exchange for money (with nothing in Texas law requiring that the person paying the money also be the person involved in the sexual contact) !
If the cop takes the witness stand and says that illegal contact took place, and if a dancer then takes the witness stand and says that no such contact took place, in the absence of video tape evidence who do you think that the jury of angry housewives who don't want their husbands going to strip clubs, bible thumping retirees who want to save strippers from themselves, and civil servants whose future employment depends of the good graces of city officials, are going to believe ?
MeanGirl
09-14-2008, 07:03 AM
^^or even if she brushed her boobs in his face during the VIP, that's sexual contact. When vice comes in if we are caught adjusting our thongs or touching our own boobs , we can get arrested. So it could have been anything. Even her sitting on his lap topless is illegal. We are taking a risk every single day, just by working.
Melonie
09-14-2008, 07:14 AM
^^or even if she brushed her boobs in his face during the VIP, that's sexual contact. When vice comes in if we are caught adjusting our thongs or touching our own boobs , we can get arrested. So it could have been anything. Even her sitting on his lap topless is illegal. We are taking a risk every single day, just by working.
^^^ and this is the exact reason that I decided to retire from live dancing. IMHO the enactment of all of these local anti-strip club laws with distance restrictions, contact restrictions etc. has accomplished two things. First it has 'criminalized' dancing to the point where it's necessary to technically violate the law on a nightly basis in order to earn any reasonable amount of money. Despite the fact that 99.9% of the time the law will not be enforced, that 0.1% of the time carries harsh legal penalties. And of course, since the penalties for violating local laws fall on the dancers and not the club, the club has no reason to fully explain the 'fine points' of local laws to their dancers. Combine that with the fact that new dancers see ' standard procedures' happening throughout the club every night with the 'blessing' of the clubowner that are technically in violation of local laws, many new dancers never bother to research the matter any further and assume that everything the other dancers are doing must be OK. This obviously leads to 'nasty surprises' when Vice finally shows up.
Second, because the legal penalties for violating a strip club ordinance are essentially equal to the legal penalties for prostitution, voila it's no surprise that the incidence of actual acts of prostitution in strip clubs INCREASES. This is an obvious case of Moral Hazard, where the club and 'dirty' dancers have absolutely nothing additional to lose but a whole lot of potential for financial gain by offering HJ's and BJ's instead of contact lap dances.
The worst part of course is that, if busted, the 'dirty' dancers are actually in a much better position to escape a guilty verdict than a 'clean' dancer - because the 'dirty' dancers have earned sufficient money from HJ's and BJ's to be able to retain a top notch attorney as well as to file an appeal if first found guilty by local yokels. In comparison, the 'clean' dancer is probably not in a position to pony up two grand for individual legal representation in local yokel court plus another five grand in legal fees to take her case to the appellate level.
IvoryDancer
09-14-2008, 01:48 PM
I worked in Houston when they started doing lots of raids there. It really did not matter what you actually did or did not do because it is the officers word against yours. The saying got to be "You can beat the rap but you can't beat the ride." The best you can do is to hire the best most lawyer you can afford. I (knock on wood) never got pulled but many of my friends did. The one's who had really good lawyers got out of charges but the ones with court appointed lawyers did not fair very well.
Otoki
09-15-2008, 12:40 AM
This is horrible. Keep us updated and I hope all goes well.
Stay strong.
CuriousSeeker
09-15-2008, 01:00 AM
Is it me, or do more out-of-the-blue raids happen in Oregon and Texas with ridiculous results than other states?
*Iris*
09-15-2008, 09:59 AM
Update ?
filthy/gorgeous
09-15-2008, 10:59 AM
Yes, update please! (Says the lurker!)
phairestofthemall
09-15-2008, 02:35 PM
Thanks so much to everyone who's commented here and/or sent me PM's about this- your support encourages me SO much! A million thanks :}
Updates... Last week I contacted some attorneys, have talked to two and one I feel good about. He quoted me $1500, or $1000 if we 3 girls all use him; in any case I feel like I could talk him down a bit more. I also finally talked to my bf about it (he'd been out of town with a broken cell) and he's utterly floored by the situation, but also totally supportive and willing to help me any way he can- he'll prolly be up here tomorrow. Ditto my local grandmother, but I lied to her about how I got the charge (she doesn't know I dance), so I prolly won't want to involve her any further.
I also reconnected with girl B from the raid and we'll keep in touch, but Girl A's number wasn't valid- I don't know if that was intentional or if the guard just wrote her number down wrong. Hopefully it was just a mistake and I can get a valid number for her from my club. Also spoke to txchick, who was really sympathetic (thanks girl!), and we brainstormed about other dancing options since both of us are wary of Men's now.
Finally, spoke to Men's owner on the phone and he was very supportive, YAY! He heard me out in full, said I'm fine to work still (though he recommends EXTREME caution- said another club was raided this weekend and they may hit us more yet), and he said they're shopping attorneys for us. That surprised me b/c I figured they'd already have one, but he said no not for this- said they've never had a pros charge before in there (dunno if I believe that but w/e). Still looking for one of my own in case we all don't see eye to eye.
And just a funny aside- my roommate's bf is a Dallas cop (who had no idea this was coming, she dances too), and it turns out he's friends with one of the cops that transported me to jail. harhar
lildreamer316
09-15-2008, 09:06 PM
I'm glad to hear Mr. Fairchild was supportive of you. Since this is their first time using a club attorney, you might want to meet with them and see what they say..but don't trust that all the way.
Please keep us posted!