A new law that was unanimously approved by the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week in Michigan will no longer let undercover police officers to have sex with prostitutes who they’re investigating.
Michigan Penal Code to make it possible for police officers to take legal action for prostitution-related offences, “if the officer engaged in sexual penetration while in the course of his or her duties.”
Senate Bill 275 targets to make minor changes on the Michigan Penal Code to make it possible for police officers to take legal action for prostitution-related offences, “if the officer engaged in sexual penetration while in the course of his or her duties.”
Undercover police currently enjoy exception from prosecution for having sex with prostitutes on the clock, something that does not sit well with Republican Sen. Judy Emmons, who sponsored the bill.
In front of the Detroit Free Press Emmons told, she doesn’t believe undercover police necessarily exploit their position, it’s important that the law be changed to fall in line with broader efforts to combat human trafficking.
“It eliminates the opportunity for those in undercover law enforcement to engage in sexual intercourse with someone they’re investigating.”
She added that Michigan is the only state in the U.S. that still has this law in its books.
“I don’t know how anyone could come out and argue against this,” Emmons said.
This begs the question: why did Michigan have such a law on its books in the first place?
Director of the Human Trafficking Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School, Bridgette Carr, told Michigan Radio in February that the law was set up that way simply to give police the power to investigate with immunity, and that “no one thought to go back and carve out a prohibition against sexual intercourse.”
Carr said it wasn’t unheard of for people with knowledge of the exemption — police as well as people falsely impersonating police — to use it as leverage to threaten sex workers.
“It’s not rampant, but it happens. And I think it says something about us as a community that we would allow this type of exemption for law enforcement, whether it’s used very often or not,” she said.
Sources: