 January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
Do you know the signs? Be on the lookout for these general indicators:
- Fearful of the person they are with;
- Limited freedom of movement;
- Limited access to technology, medical care or other people;
- Visible signs of abuse; and/or
- Malnourished or frail looking.
What's the one thing you wish people knew about prosecuting human trafficking?
Jermal Blanchard, an ADA in our Special Victims Unit who recently successfully prosecuted a human trafficking case, told us the "one thing" he wishes people knew about prosecuting these cases: "What makes it particularly difficult to prosecute trafficking cases is how society and in turn our jurors most of the time view sex and consent. It can be hard to get jurors to look past the baggage that sometimes comes along with a victim of trafficking and get them to see that this isn’t something the victim wanted or consented to. Victims sometimes enter into a casual situation that evolves into them being trafficked."
SCDAG Human Trafficking Prosecutions
Our Special Victims Unit currently has a pending multi-count "trafficking for commercial sex act" case against a Memphis man who forced a 14-year-old girl to have sex with men he solicited with online ads. The defendant recruited the young girl through Facebook and had sold her for sex with adult males multiple times over several months. MPD and the FBI worked the case.
Last August 27-year-old Johnny Montrail Smith pled guilty to rape and trafficking for sexual servitude for forcing a 15-year-old girl from Nashville to have sex with him and other men over a 12-day period. The young girl had walked away from a treatment center and Smith offered her food and shelter, but then forced her to have sex after giving her cocaine and ecstasy.
 Human Trafficking Cases In the News
In November of last year, a 16-year-old girl used the above hand signal to alert fellow travelers on a Kentucky interstate that she was in trouble. The signal, originally created by the Canadian Women's Foundation as a way for victims of abuse to signal their need for help, gained widespread recognition through the popular app TikTok. A driver of a passing car saw the girl signal and called 911. When police pulled the car over, they realized that the girl had been reported missing 2 days earlier in South Carolina. The driver of the car, a 61-year-old male, was arrested and subsequently charged with unlawful imprisonment, as well as possession of child pornography.
For more, read here about the experience of a University of Memphis freshman, and here about an undercover TBI Human Trafficking Unit sting operation.
Human trafficking is happening everywhere, even here in Shelby County. Everyone can help end human trafficking by knowing the signs and how to report it. If you see something, call 911 in an emergency, or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Resources for Victims and Advocates:
 Beyond the Courtroom: Community Justice Program
Last year a young college student was caught shoplifting at a local department store and found herself facing criminal charges for the first time in her life. A conviction on her record would jeopardize her plan to become a teacher.
Today, she is still in school and the criminal case against her has been expunged without her going to court or facing a judge. She owes her good fortune and second chance to a three-citizen panel of our Community Justice Program.
Now 10 months old, the CJP is an alternative to traditional prosecution in which trained volunteers from the community take matters into their own hands to administer restorative justice. Instead of jail time, panelists order restitution, letters of apology, community service, job training or other conditions relevant to the offense (the student mentioned above was required to perform 8 hours of community service and to present proof to the panel that she remains enrolled in school).
Cases are screened for eligibility, and both the victim and the offender must agree to have the case sent to CJP. The offender (called "the participant") also must acknowledge responsibility for the offense on the front end. As with traditional prosecution, the CJP goal is to find a resolution that keeps offenders from committing future crimes, and also to give the community a larger role in the criminal justice process.
Currently we have nine panels, each with three to five members, that meet separately each month at 5 church sites. In 48 hearings so far, CJP panelists have handled cases involving 88 participants. Many of these cases are still active while the participant completes assigned tasks and returns for one or more status conference follow-ups with the panel.
We had many more applicants for CJP panelist spots than we could accommodate with our limited resources, but going forward I hope we can grow the program. Without exception, these selfless volunteers bring a wealth of life experiences, common sense and a genuine desire to help this community. I can't thank them enough. For more on the Community Justice program, click here to read the white paper.
 New ADAs Sworn In
Paul Lichlyter, ADA (center), started work this month with Team 5. Paul has a B.S. in Economics from Troy University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia Law School. Paul has been working as an intern with our office.
Neil Andrew Hillis, ADA (right), started work today in Juvenile Court. Mr. Hillis received his M.A. from Freed-Hardeman University, M.A. from American Military University, Ph.D. from University of Alabama, and his Juris Doctorate from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, University of Memphis. Mr. Hillis previously worked with our office as an ADA.
In the News
I-40 Traffic Stop Yields Deadly Drug Shipment Hidden in Fire Extinguishers
Driver Indicted on Homicide, DUI Charges
Man Pleads Guilty in Whitehaven Murder
Woman Indicted in Child’s Death at Party
Man Indicted in Murder of Ex and Friend
Two Men Indicted in Killing of Young Dolph Set for Arraignment Today in Criminal Court
Crime Crisis: Prosecutors' "eyes opened" after working in precincts
Drag racing, reckless driving cases increase, but few result in conviction
Memphis woman lends helping hand to tourists in need
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