From January through March, at least four men responded to online ads for a woman named "Brittany," a trap created by the cops, who offered half-hour or hourly rates for "sexual contact," ranging from $80 to $140. They were arrested by the cops and charged with a Gross Misdemeanour.
The cases against them were dismissed, first by a district court, and then by a three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which ruled Monday the accusations against them didn't rise to the level of a gross misdemeanour.
In order to meet that standard, the request has to come in a "public place," a term with an expansive definition under Minnesota law: Sidewalks, skyways, steam rooms, bars, restaurants, alleys, cars, and parking lots are all public.