The political
career of Florida state representative Bob Allen came to a
crashing halt in July 2007 when he was arrested for
soliciting sex -- specifically offering a police
officer $20 to perform oral sex on him -- in a
restroom at a Titusville park. After trying to reverse
a conviction on solicitation of sex, the disgraced
Republican was just handed another defeat this week,
when his latest appeal was denied without hearing or
comment by an appeals court, reports
FloridaToday.com.
According to
police, after offering fellatio to the undercover officer
last year, Allen suggested the two do their business
somewhere less public. After being convicted of
soliciting sex, Allen argued that he thought the
undercover cop was going to rob him and that the whole
exchange was an attempt to avoid being mugged. A jury didn't
buy it, and Allen was sentenced to six months'
probation, a $250 fine, and other court and
restitution costs in November 2007 (though the sentence
was delayed pending the outcome of the appeal). He resigned
from the Florida legislature the next day.
Declaring his
innocence, Allen appealed his case in July 2008; a panel of
Brevard County circuit court judges denied the appeal. Allen
filed a motion for a rehearing of the case,
and that motion was denied. This week Florida's fifth
district court of appeal denied the appeal. Allen's
attorney has argued that his client is being charged under
the wrong statute and that the undercover officer, not
Allen, suggested "sex for money." But the
prosecutor argued that the statute under which Allen
was charged also prohibits luring people into prostitution.
According to
FloridaToday.com, it's not clear whether Allen, who served
seven years in the state legislature, will ask the
Florida supreme court for a hearing. (Neal Broverman,
Advocate.com)