People v. Slipson
People v. Slipson
Opinion of the Court
After preliminary examination in the 44th District Court, on July 8, 1983, defendant, James Harold Slipson, was bound over to the Oakland Circuit Court on a charge of inducing, persuading, encouraging, inveigling or enticing a female person to become a prostitute, contrary to MCL 750.455; MSA 28.710 (Case No. 83-59256 FY). In a separate case, after preliminary examination in the 43rd District Court, on August 30, 1983, defendant was bound over to the Oakland Circuit Court on an identical charge (Case No. 83-59868 FH). On July 30, 1984, the Oakland Circuit Court granted defendant’s motion to quash the informations and dismissed the charges against him in both cases. The prosecutor appeals as of right.
In both cases, the trial judge found that the facts elicited at the preliminary examination could not support a charge of pandering under the statute, which states in pertinent part:
Any person who shall . . . induce, persuade, encourage, inveigle or entice a female person to become a prostitute . . . shall be guilty of a felony
The trial judge noted that in both cases defendant either believed that the complainant was currently a prostitute (Case No. 83-59256 FY) or that the complaintant had actually been convicted
The trial judge based his conclusion on two factors. First, the language of the current pandering statute, which requires a defendant to induce, persuade, encourage, etc., a female person "to become” a prostitute. Second, the 1893 Michigan Supreme Court decision in People v Cook,
Initially, the prosecutor argues on appeal that the trial judge could not reverse the district court’s decisions unless it appeared on the record that there had been an abuse of discretion. This is a true statement of the law as it pertains to findings of fact.
Reviewing the trial court’s decision as a matter of law, the case most directly on point is Cook, supra. In that case, the complainant admitted that she had been engaged in prostitution at the time the defendant approached her to work in his "sporting house.” The Court held that the jury must be allowed to determine if the complainant was already engaged in prostitution when induced
We agree with the holding in Cook, supra, as it pertains to MCL 750.455; MSA 28.710. In fact, this Court has favorably acknowledged the Cook interpretation in its recent decision of People v Rocha.
In examining the facts, we look at each case separately. In Case No. 83-59256 FY, the complainant was an undercover police officer who testified at the preliminary examination that she had never actually engaged in prostitution. However, she went on to testify that when defendant interviewed her for a job in his "escort service,” she told him that she had had past "escort” experience and did not want to mix up her current clients with his. The trial judge found that defendant reasonably believed that the undercover police officer was currently engaged in prostitution when he solicited her and, thus, could not have knowingly induced her "to become” a prostitute, as required for conviction under the statute.
In Case No. 83-59868 FH, the complainant admitted that she had been convicted of accosting and soliciting (engaging in prostitution) in November, 1982, and placed on probation for one year. She testified that she never told defendant that she had previously engaged in prostitution.
The trial judge found that complainant was engaged in prostitution at the time defendant contacted her and, thus, dismissed the charges against defendant pursuant to Cook, supra. The prosecutor argues that the facts in this case are distinguishable from the facts in Cook because complainant was no longer clearly engaged in prostitution when defendant solicited her. As indicated, she had been on probation and, presumably, not engaging in prostitution. Thus, the issue is whether someone admittedly engaged in prostitution in November, 1982, can be induced "to become” a prostitute for purposes of the statute in April, 1983. We do not believe so.
While at some future point in time a person convicted of prostitution in the past may no longer be considered a prostitute so as to be able to be induced "to become” a prostitute again for purposes of the pandering statute, five or six months is not long enough. The circuit court was correct in quashing the information.
Affirmed.
96 Mich 368; 55 NW 980 (1893).
See People v Talley, 410 Mich 378, 385; 301 NW2d 809 (1981) (assessment of the credibility of witnesses).
110 Mich App 1, 15; 312 NW2d 657 (1981), lv den 413 Mich 912 (1982).
People v Lockhart, 242 Mich 491; 219 NW 724 (1928).
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). While I agree with the majority opinion’s legal interpretation, I disagree with its analysis of the issue and its result. I therefore dissent in both 83-59256 and 83-59868.
As the majority opinion states, the trial (circuit)
It is well-settled that the standard to be observed in reviewing a magistrate’s determination at preliminary examination is that the reviewing court should not disturb the determination of the magistrate unless a clear abuse of discretion is demonstrated. [People v Doss, 406 Mich 90, 101; 276 NW2d 9 (1979).]
It appears that the circuit judge here not only substituted his judgment for that of the magistrates, but made findings of fact as well.
In 83-59256 the circuit judge found that defendant reasonably believed the undercover officer to be currently engaged in prostitution based upon her statement to defendant that she had past "escort” experience and did not want to mix up her current clients with his. Such is certainly a permissible inference.
However, it is an equally appropriate inference to conclude that defendant did not believe the officer’s statement because he required her to submit to him so he could teach her "shortcuts of the profession.”
I would hold that what the defendant believed, insofar as the element of knowingly enticing is concerned, is a question of fact for the jury.
In 83-59868 the circuit judge found the complainant to be a prostitute based only upon the fact that she had been placed on probation in
I would also hold that this issue is a question of fact to be determined at trial. People v Cook, 96 Mich 368, 372; 55 NW 980 (1893).
I would reverse.
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