PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona’s top court says tough-sentencing provisions of the state’s child prostitution laws still apply when the person a defendant believed was a minor was actually an undercover police officer.
A man awaiting trial in a Yavapai County case had argued that the case involved undercover officers who posed as 16-year-old girls meant the sentencing provisions didn’t apply.
A trial judge ruled that the toughened sentencing provisions apply only when actual minors are involved, but the state Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday said otherwise.
The ruling said the Legislature apparently intended to apply the sentencing provisions to cases involving undercover officers and others helping police.
However, the ruling also urged lawmakers to review the sentencing provisions to make their reach clear so the public has fair warning about crimes and punishments.
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