Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr., today announced the Office’s new policy to decline-to-prosecute prostitution and unlicensed massage, and appeared virtually in Manhattan Criminal Court and moved to dismiss 914 Prostitution and Unlicensed Massage cases – in line with the Office’s new policy – preventing unnecessary future contacts with the criminal justice system, eliminating the collateral consequences associated with having a prostitution case or conviction, and empowering New Yorkers to interact with law enforcement without fear of arrest or deportation. New York City’s rising crime and violence will now be joined by legal prostitution as the city’s district attorney said his office will no longer prosecute prostitution.Īlthough the laws of the state prohibit prosecution, Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s action essentially legalizes the activity in the city of New York.
