Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced Monday his office has dismissed prostitution bench warrants in Erie County following the repeal of 'Walking While Trans' law.
The warrant dismissals were for those charged with loitering for the purposes of prostitution prior to 2017.
Flynn, along with other district attorneys across the state, advocated for the repeal due its history of discriminatory enforcement. Legislation to repeal the law was signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in February.
“I advocated for the repeal of Penal Law Section 240.37 because it unfairly targeted members of the LGBTQ+ community and women of color, but other prostitution-related offenses remain illegal in an effort to stop sex trafficking and exploitation. I understand the reasoning of District Attorneys who decline to pursue these criminal charges in an effort to prevent defendants from dealing with the consequences associated with a prostitution conviction. As the District Attorney of Erie County, it is my ethical obligation to prosecute any criminal charge under New York State penal law that an individual has committed beyond a reasonable doubt. By continuing to prosecute those charged with prostitution, I am not seeking to get a conviction. My goal, along with the Human Trafficking Intervention Court, is to help these individuals find an alternative to prostitution and connect them to services to improve their livelihood,” said Flynn in a released statement.
Six bench warrants were dismissed in Buffalo City Court. Anyone currently charged with prostitution in Erie County will have their case transferred to the Human Trafficking Intervention Court.
