Criminal Justice
D.C. Madam Convicted
Posted Apr 15, 2008, 12:23 pm CST
By Martha Neil
The so-called "D.C. Madam" accused of running a Washington, D.C., prostitution ring under the guise of an upscale escort service has been convicted on all charges.
Deborah Jeane Palfrey, 52, was convicted today of racketeering, money laundering and two counts of using the mail for illegal purposes, reports the Washington Post. She will be sentenced in July.
The defense in the high-profile case, which involved several lawyers as clients and witnesses at trial, contended that Palfrey wasn't aware that her clients and employees were having sex.
As discussed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post, the trial has been controversial because of the harsh spotlight it cast on the women called as witnesses. The judge today sealed records that would have identified more than 100 of Palfrey's employees who didn't testify.