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Loitering for Prostitution No Longer Criminal
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Friday that repeals provisions related to loitering with the intent to commit prostitution.
The bill is SB 357, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco.
The governor said, in signing the bill into law:
“I am signing Senate Bill 357, which repeals provisions of the law related to loitering with intent to commit prostitution. This bill additionally allows a person, who has been convicted of loitering, to petition the trial court for resentencing or dismissal, and the sealing of records.
“The author brought forth this legislation because the crime of loitering has disproportionately impacted Black and Brown women and members of the LGBTQ community. Black adults accounted for 56.1% of the loitering charges in Los Angeles between 2017-2019, despite making up less than 10% of the city’s population.
“To be clear, this bill does not legalize prostitution. It simply revokes provisions of the law that have led to disproportionate harassment of women and transgendered adults. While I agree with the author’s intent and I am signing this legislation, we must be cautious about its implementation. My Administration will monitor crime and prosecution trends for any possible unintended consequences and will act to mitigate any such impacts.”
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