Joe Orr Road Rod wrote:
Several years back in the high-flying 90s a friend of mine, also named Brian (but spelled differently) was working for a company called Creo that manufactured equipment for printers. Creo was based in British Columbia and Brian was sent from Chicago to work in BC for over a month. During the course of that month he ordered British Columbian hookers on several occasions and added the costs to his expense report. Upon his return to Chicago his boss questioned the charges. Brian had actually booked them as "escort services" on the report. The boss was incredulous. He couldn't believe that Brian had such audacity. But Brian stuck to his guns insisting that if the company was going to send him to a strange city for weeks on end it should cover his pussy. The boss let the charges stand but warned him not to expect him to do it again. I suspect he admired the young man's nerve.
On one day, several years back in the early, not yet high flying 90s a friend of mine named Al was in a courtroom over on 26th Street plying his trade. On that day he had the good fortune to be in a courtroom where a fairly sizable (& upper income customer) prostitution trial was proceeding. Patrick Tuite, defendants co-counsel laid the groundwork for what was one of the most novel defenses ever heard against prostitution charges. Tuite first took note of the fees charged and higher end addresses allegedly used in this matter, which were...substantial
.
He first noted the other local (service) businesses then operating in the area. With grit and determination he noted the customers' basic core issues and emotional needs serviced by both sets of businesses in that local area. He marveled at how the fee scale wasn't particularly different, and how there was the same overriding desire to maintain the privacy of each set of clients. Indeed he proceeded to note how there wasn't anything particularly exotic in the treatment offered by each set of service businesses. Just a fundamental practice offered by all if you will.
Of course the 'other' local service business largely consisted of psychiatrists. Tuite even offered that his clients were indeed counselors the same, nothing more, nothing less. His position was that harried businessmen then operating in a mild recession were under considerable financial pressures, pressures this unique group of "counselors" were particularly adept at....relieving. Just like the Psy.D's with their little prescription pads. Or PhDs with their...bullshit?!?
Very minor sentences were had by all iirc.