In January 2018, Delegate Chang introduced House Bill 6: Criminal Law-Human Trafficking-Felony, in attempts to establish that all violations of the State’s prohibition on human trafficking are felony offenses. The bill unanimously passed in the Senate but failed in the House. Governor Hogan pledged to re-introduce legislation to categorize human trafficking as a crime of violence in Maryland. This bill would increase prison time for offenders. The proposed new bill will be entitled: Felony Human Trafficking Act of 2019.
Under current Maryland law, § 11-303 of the Criminal Procedure Article, a person who commits human trafficking involving an adult victim is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or a maximum fine of $5,000. While a misdemeanor generally carries a 1-year statute of limitations, the misdemeanor offense of human trafficking is subject to prosecution at any time.
The proposed bill:
- Human Trafficking of a Minor: A person who commits human trafficking involving a victim who is a minor (defined as an individual younger than age 18) is guilty of a felony and subject to imprisonment for up to 25 years and/or a maximum fine of $15,000.
- Human Trafficking (Compelled Marriage or Performance of Specified Acts): The felony human trafficking penalty also applies to a person who knowingly takes or detains another person with the intent to use force, threat, coercion, or fraud to compel the other person to marry the person or a third person or perform a sexual act, sexual contact, or vaginal intercourse.
- Human Trafficking (Financial Benefit or Aiding and Abetting): A person who knowingly aids, abets, or conspires in the violation of human trafficking laws or knowingly benefits financially from ventures or activities in violation of State human trafficking laws is subject to the same penalties imposed on a person who violated the applicable statute.
Please support the future passing of this bill. Human trafficking is a crime of violence and should be prosecuted as one.
To learn more about human trafficking please see: To learn more about human trafficking please check out : https://humantraffickinghotline.org/type-trafficki...
Updates
November 10, 2018
The feedback I keep getting is that this fight takes too long and requires too much digging into dark places. I am exhausted by the constant obstacles but the reality of these laws is what keeps me at the desk every night.
Reached 100 supporters
November 10, 2018
24 Comments
Something like literally selling a person for drugs (among other things) should be considered as is: A VIOLENT CRIME! There's a lot in media nowadays surrounding this crime and the effects on other people. We should be doing more than just a "slap on the wrist!"
Human trafficking is an abhorring offense, and what makes it worse is that people who commit this offense suffer the same punishment that a petty thief would. These monsters tore people's lives apart, and it essentially unpunished.
It should also include sodomy as well. It is t just women and girls but also boys and young men.
It really disgusts me that an act that ruins people's lives with unimaginable, and sometimes irreversible emotional and physical pain is a misdemeanor just like minor theft and drunk driving. This is one reason as to why Maryland is such a hotspot for trafficking. Quite often, traffickers will move victims across state lines into Maryland. Pimps recognize that the risks are incredibly lower here, allowing them to more confidently exploit and ruin lives.
Some find it easier to pin the crime on "prostitutes" and don't want to talk about this sensitive topic. But that's why we are here to speak up and be the voices for the victims who had theirs taken away.
I fully support this. It has to stop.
How could this not pass? What else is attached to this bill?
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In January 2018, Delegate Chang introduced House Bill 6: Criminal Law-Human Trafficking-Felony, in attempts to establish that all violations of the State’s prohibition on human trafficking are felony offenses. The bill unanimously passed in the Senate but failed in the House. Governor Hogan pledged to re-introduce legislation to categorize human trafficking as a crime of violence in Maryland. This bill would increase prison time for offenders. The proposed new bill will be entitled: Felony Human Trafficking Act of 2019.
Under current Maryland law, § 11-303 of the Criminal Procedure Article, a person who commits human trafficking involving an adult victim is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or a maximum fine of $5,000. While a misdemeanor generally carries a 1-year statute of limitations, the misdemeanor offense of human trafficking is subject to prosecution at any time.
The proposed bill:
- Human Trafficking of a Minor: A person who commits human trafficking involving a victim who is a minor (defined as an individual younger than age 18) is guilty of a felony and subject to imprisonment for up to 25 years and/or a maximum fine of $15,000.
- Human Trafficking (Compelled Marriage or Performance of Specified Acts): The felony human trafficking penalty also applies to a person who knowingly takes or detains another person with the intent to use force, threat, coercion, or fraud to compel the other person to marry the person or a third person or perform a sexual act, sexual contact, or vaginal intercourse.
- Human Trafficking (Financial Benefit or Aiding and Abetting): A person who knowingly aids, abets, or conspires in the violation of human trafficking laws or knowingly benefits financially from ventures or activities in violation of State human trafficking laws is subject to the same penalties imposed on a person who violated the applicable statute.
Please support the future passing of this bill. Human trafficking is a crime of violence and should be prosecuted as one.
To learn more about human trafficking please see: To learn more about human trafficking please check out : https://humantraffickinghotline.org/type-trafficki...
Updates
November 10, 2018
The feedback I keep getting is that this fight takes too long and requires too much digging into dark places. I am exhausted by the constant obstacles but the reality of these laws is what keeps me at the desk every night.
Reached 100 supporters
November 10, 2018
24 Comments
This should be completely a violent crime! It is abuse of human beings and slavery, not a misdemeanor.
Something like literally selling a person for drugs (among other things) should be considered as is: A VIOLENT CRIME! There's a lot in media nowadays surrounding this crime and the effects on other people. We should be doing more than just a "slap on the wrist!"
Human trafficking is an abhorring offense, and what makes it worse is that people who commit this offense suffer the same punishment that a petty thief would. These monsters tore people's lives apart, and it essentially unpunished.
It should also include sodomy as well. It is t just women and girls but also boys and young men.
It really disgusts me that an act that ruins people's lives with unimaginable, and sometimes irreversible emotional and physical pain is a misdemeanor just like minor theft and drunk driving. This is one reason as to why Maryland is such a hotspot for trafficking. Quite often, traffickers will move victims across state lines into Maryland. Pimps recognize that the risks are incredibly lower here, allowing them to more confidently exploit and ruin lives.
Some find it easier to pin the crime on "prostitutes" and don't want to talk about this sensitive topic. But that's why we are here to speak up and be the voices for the victims who had theirs taken away.
I fully support this. It has to stop.
How could this not pass? What else is attached to this bill?
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This should be completely a violent crime! It is abuse of human beings and slavery, not a misdemeanor.