United States Ninth Circuit

Defendant's sex trafficking convictions are affirmed where the government's evidence showed that defendant had the necessary mens rea in the sense of being aware of an established modus operandi that would in the future coerce a prostitute to engage in prostitution. However, his sentences as to certain counts are reversed where the jury did not find that the offenses were "effected by fraud, force or coercion," as required by 18 U.S.C. section 1591(b)(1).

Appellate Information

• Argued 08/05/2009
• Decided 10/20/2009
• Published 10/20/2009

Judges

• NOONAN, Circuit Judge:, Before:  HARRY PREGERSON, JOHN T. NOONAN and MILAN D. SMITH, JR., Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Suzanne Lee Elliott, Esq., Seattle, WA, for the defendant-appellant., Ye-Ting Woo, Assistant United States Attorney, Seattle, WA, for the plaintiff-appellee.