Police And Sex Case Summary

For my Final Project Analysis, I will be addressing Case 3: Police and Sex. In Spotsylvania, VA the police department uses undercover police officers to purchase sex from prostitutes. The Spotsylvania Sheriff Howard Smith defends this practice as a way to receive higher convictions and to remove prostitution from Spotsylvania County. In order to prove sexual activity there has to be the actual act of performance. The act of engagement is a felony, which allows the police to take over all assets of the defendant. Smith believes this is the only way to deter prostitution in his jurisdiction.

I believe that Smith and other jurisdictions that allow this practice is thinking for the good of the people. A Utilitarian way of thinking. By lying to

Rule utilitarian, defines the issues of an act by asking,” What would happen if the law allowed this act and what costs or end results would better serve the population?” The utilitarian decides by pros and cons of the actions, which would serve everyone not just an individual within the population. Looking at Smith’s decision to defend, we can consider this question: Does Smith think that the population is better served if prostitution continued in his jurisdiction? He and others believe that prostitution has damaging effects to the population as a whole. However, one must also weigh the effects of the undercover officer’s decision to continue lying to prostitutes and johns, in order to get a more favorable

Mackinnon, (2012) Kant states that “Every rational being, exists as an end in himself, not merely as a means.” People should never be used as a means to an end, we should always treat every human being with respect no matter the circumstances. To justify lying to prostitutes and johns because you want a better case would be viewed as unethical. Further, promising a prostitute money to pay for services that she will be arrested for is using the prostitute as means to an end, and would be unethical. Kant would view lying also as a way of misleading the prostitute, had she known of pending arrest, she may not agree to the act. Decisions should never be made that takes advantage of another human being. Lying to another to gain something (less prostitutes and johns) is wrong even if at the end the population or jurisdiction is better served. Lying to another would be viewed as being disrespectful to another, not treating another as you would like to be