Case Analysis Mistress Carla Faces Prostitution Trial

There were two articles about me in competing local newspapers on June 13, 1984. The Miami Herald’s headline read, Mistress Carla Faces Prostitution Trial, while the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (formerly the Fort Lauderdale News) declared, Judge OK’s Police Actions. Journalists and photographers of both major local newspapers didn t miss any opportunity to blast my name and photos for the world to see. My involvement with the State of Florida had ended up in a political witch-trial with much fire, magnitude, and media coverage. My lawyer said in his career he had never had a file as thick, or a case which had turned as dirty as mine. Several articles about my legal battle were covered in the front page of the Metro section of the†¦show more content†¦I know I promised you no jail time but I never thought the cops and the state attorney would take this so far. We need to find expert witnesses who will testify at your trial.† â€Å"What will they testify to?† â€Å"They can educate the jury as to the socially redeeming qualities and psychological aspects of domination and what you do. What happens in your dungeon has nothing to do with prostitution. I know it’s expensive and your funds are low but you’re going to have to come up with the money. It would be good to have a professional jury picker too. That’s someone, usually a psychologist, who can help me during voir dire identify the jurors who will be most sympathetic to you.† â€Å"How much are you talking about, Dennis?† â€Å"Twenty grand, at least.† My attorney replied. â€Å"And this is on top of your fee?† I inquired with a gulp in my throat. â€Å"Yes.† Dennis responded quickly with a serious look on his face. I sat motionless and dumbfounded in one of the burgundy, leather-bound arm chairs in front of Dennis desk. The more he spoke, the more muffled his voice sounded, with intermittent parts of words deafening. I could smell his potent, Gucci cologne mixed with a slight scent of the furniture polish. In the distant background, the piped in music was softly playing one of my very favorite oldies from 1959, a tune my grandmother loved to listen to called Only You, by Franck Pourcel’ s French Fiddles. After Dennis’s declaration that not only