MIAMI HUMAN TRAFFICKING ATTORNEY

Florida is a “Zero-Tolerance” state with regards to human trafficking and law enforcement agencies have stepped up efforts to vigorously seek out and prosecute those involved.

Florida’s law defines human trafficking as a “form of modern-day slavery.” Florida recently updated its Human-Trafficking statutes, which took effect July 1, 2012:

• Increases penalties for a human smuggling charge from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony
• Designates individuals convicted of human sex trafficking as sex offenders and sex predators
• Allows property used for human trafficking subject to forfeiture
• Requires massage parlors and their employees to show valid photo identification when asked


A human trafficking case can be brought against you if you are suspected of or tried to engage or participated in transporting, soliciting, recruiting, harboring, providing or obtaining an individual person for transport. Further an individual must have had the knowledge and/or intent that the transported person would be subjected to forced labor or services such as prostitution or financially profited by obtaining anything of worth from participation in an endeavor that has subjected a person to forced labor or services.

Penalties of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a first-degree felony in the State of Florida and you may face significant prison time of 30 years and up to life in prison if convicted of human trafficking.

Defenses to Human Trafficking

It is the burden of the Government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that parties were involved in Human Trafficking. Oftentimes individuals may be running legitimate businesses but these fringe players find themselves charged with a crime as equal participants in a case despite their innocence. In addition these cases typically involve the seizing of evidence and our lawyers will work diligently to ensure that that evidence was seized appropriately and that the privacy and constitutional rights of our clients are protected.