Porn Star and Stripper Fight Prostitution Charges

Prosecutors are not just seeking to "convict Posner and his wife." Prosecutors want to forfeit over $550,000 seized from the Posners and HLD. Since there are no victims of this alleged crime, there would be no restitution payments. Any money forfeited would go to New York City, and most of it to the NYC police department. The unfair seizure and forfeiture laws provide law enforcement with a perverse financial incentive to go after entrepreneurial businessmen, rather than real criminals. See Forfeiture Endangers American Rights (FEAR).

This is a case of "selective prosecution" as law enforcement went after Louis Posner and his wife because Posner was a "lawyer who started a voter reform advocacy group after the 2000 election." The police raid in July 2008 was just before the campaign for the Presidential election and conservative Republican pundits mocked Posner, a liberal activist attorney. Prosecutors went after Cassandra Malandri, and her partner Falynn Rodriguez because Alexia Moore is a "porn star." Alexia Moore only does lesbian porn and her performances as an adult actor are constitutionally protected free expression.

The statement that HLD had "private rooms with beds" is misleading. All of the rooms at HLD, including any private rooms, had chairs and sofas for lap dancing. Lounge beds at HLD were part of the ultra-hip ambience, similar to top clubs like B.E.D. in South Beach, Miami. The overwhelming majority of customers paid $20 for a lap dance in the open lap dance rooms at HLD.

The statement that HLD "ranked as the best of all strip clubs in the world by AskMen.com" is correct. HLD ranked as the number one gentlemen's club in the world in the askmen.com article "Top Ten Gentlemen's Club." Larry Flint's Hustler Club in New York ranked No. 3 and Spearmint Rhino in Las Vegas ranked no. 5. The statement that HLD (or any of the other top rated clubs) was "so beloved because the club offered much more than erotic dancing" is false. HLD was popular because it had beautiful dancers, a comfortable ambience, an "upscale clientele", well orchestrated live erotic performances, and a gourmet catered buffet.

The comment "plus whatever customers gave "dancers" behind closed doors" is inaccurate and misleading. Many of the dancers who worked at HLD, including Cassandra Malandri and Falynn Rodriguez, had worked at the top gentlemen's clubs in Manhattan and throughout the United States. None of the HLD dancers worked as prostitutes or escorts. Like any other gentlemen's club, dancers received a set amount of money for their time in a private room. Tips to the dancers were not expected or required. There were frequent emails and staff meetings prohibiting and warning dancers at HLD against prostitution.

The statement that prosecutors are seeking to "convict Posner and his wife of running a brothel" is inaccurate. Posner's wife never worked at HLD. Vice police falsely arrested her late at night at her home in her pajamas on "promoting prostitution" charges. Bail was set at $150,000 and she spent 6 days in jail at Reikers. The grand jury failed to indict her on the promoting prostitution charges and the charges had to be dropped. HLD was a gentlemen's club, not a brothel. Louis Posner pleaded "not guilty" to the promoting prostitution charges.

There were never any "on-site sales of cocaine" at HLD. The club had a strict "no tolerance" policy towards drugs. There was not a single charge for narcotics or drugs in any of the criminal complaints filed against any of the owners, staff or dancers who worked at HLD.

No one at the Hot Lap Dance Club ever called Lou the name "Big Daddy Lou", "Big Lou" or "Daddy." He was simply "Lou." No one ever called the club "Big Daddy Lou's Hot Lap Dance Club." It was simply referred to as the "Hot Lap Dance Club," "Hot Lap Dance" or "HLD."

The NYPD Vice Enforcement Unit has falsely arrested over 40 gay men in adult book stores on trumped up prostitution charges. See Campaign to Stop the False Arrests. We can now add topless dancers to the list of innocent victims of NYC law enforcement's moral crusade against adult entertainment. Despite the allegations of "on site cocaine sales," Court records reveal that there is not a single drug related charge charge against any of the individuals arrested at the club. We should give credit to Alexia Moore and Falynn Rodriguez for their courage in standing up and defending themselves!

The IRS should get involved for tax fraud and evasion immediately. Put them behind bars. No wonder the Country is in trouble when people like this can make tremendous income and not pay any taxes on their prostitution!

A bunch of cops step into a strip club. No one thought that this might just be the next round of entertainment for the bachelor party at table 10?

Undercover cops go to strip joins. Taxpayers money well spent.

Yawn. If you want to deal with prostitution, arrest johns & pimps. & then help the prostitutes into other avenues of employment. Duh.

You mean employment that's as lucrative? Good luck.

Stupid shit.

if they filmed it, it wasn't prostitution, just an amateur porn film & that's legal!

Exactly! Moral of this story: Bring a video camera if you're going to hire a prostitute.

Victimless crime. Glad Bloomberg's police force is carrying on the tradition set by his predecessor's to showboat and waste taxpayer dollars chasing non-criminals.

The only response a judge should have to a case like this is to roll his eyes and tell the cops and prosecutors to "get a life".

judging by their photo in today's Post, 5K does seem sort of laughable.. Perhaps the cop looked worse.

In porn, everyone's a "star."

goddamn puritans. vice is nice.

800 flowers tops. And no im kidding so dont track my IP.