Soliciting Unlawful Business – Chicago Municipal Ordinance Violations

The City of Chicago has enacted Municipal Code Ordinances prohibiting the solicitation of unlawful business. Most cities, towns, and villages in the Chicagoland area have enacted similar ordinances. Frequently the police will conduct sting operations where they place an undercover officer in an area known for prostitution and use that officer as bait for the unexpecting “John.” These arrests become public record, and if not handled properly can tarnish a person’s name for the rest of their life. Further, a person’s vehicle used in the violation of the offense is usually towed and help until the defendant pays a large fine, tow, and storage fees. David S. Olshansky & Associates has had great success in defending these allegations.

Chicago Municipal Code Violation, 8-8-050 “Soliciting”

The city of Chicago has established a municipal ordinance that states that any person who by any overt acts in, or upon the public ways, or in any hotel, motel or other public place of accommodation, or on public conveyances or in any establishment licensed to sell alcoholic beverages, offers to perform or who solicits for another person to perform any act of prostitution shall upon conviction be fined not less than $750.00 nor more than $1,500.00 for the first offense and be fined not less than $1,500.00 nor more than $3,000.00 for the second offense and shall be punished as a misdemeanor for each subsequent offense by incarceration in the county jail for a term not to exceed six months or by both fine and imprisonment.

It should be noted that most cities in Illinois have enacted similar provisions of local law in which a person may be charged.

Chicago Municipal Code Violation, 8-8-060 “Street Solicitation for Prostitution”

The city of Chicago has created a law that punishes solicitation in a “Public place” for the offense of prostitution, soliciting for prostitution, and other offenses that are not generally categorized as prostitution but still have an unlawful solicitation aspect.

This city ordinance law states that any person who remains, or wanders about in a public place and repeatedly beckons to, or repeatedly attempts to engage a passersby in conversation, or repeatedly interferes with the free passage of other persons, for the purpose of prostitution or of soliciting for a prostitute, shall be guilty of a violation or any person who remains or wanders about in a public place and repeatedly beckons to, or repeatedly stops, or repeatedly attempts to stop, or repeatedly attempts to engage a passersby in conversation, or repeatedly stops or attempts to stop motor vehicles, or repeatedly interferes with the free passage of other persons, for the purpose of pandering shall be guilty of a violation.

A motor vehicle used in violation of this section shall be subject to seizure and impoundment.

See the Vehicle Impoundment / Tow Hearings section of this website for more information.