Prostitution

The common lewdness of a woman for gain. The act of permitting a common and indiscriminate sexual intercourse for gain.

Com. v. Cook, 12 Mete. (Mass.) 97.

The act or practice of prostituting or offering the body to an indiscriminate intercourse with men; common lewdness of a woman for gain; the act of permitting a common and indiscriminate sexual intercourse for hire.

State v. Gibson, 108 Mo. 575, 18 S. W. 1109. See State v. Stoyell, 54 Me. 24, 89 Am. Dec. 710; Haygood v. State, 98 Ala. 61, 13 South. 325.

The act of permitting illicit intercourse for hire, an indiscriminate intercourse or what is deemed public prostitution.

IJ. S. v. Bitty, 208 U. S. 393, 28 Sup. Ct. 396, 52 L. Ed. 543.

By the word in its most general sense is understood the act of setting one’s self to sale, or of devoting to infamous purposes what is in one’s power: as, the prostitution of talents or abilities; the prostitution of the press, etc.

Carpenter v. People, 8 Barb. (N. Y.) 610.

In all well-regulated communities this has been considered a heinous offence, for which the woman may be punished; and the keeper of a house of prostitution may be indicted for keeping a common nuisance. A landlord cannot recover for the use and occupation of a house let for the purpose of prostitution; 1 B. & P. 340, n. It is not a crime to let rooms to prostitutes for quiet and decent occupation, nor to permit a house to be visited by disreputable people, if they visit it for innocent and proper purposes; State v. Smith, 15 R. I. 24, 22 Atl. 1119. The object of the provisions of the immigration acts of 1907 and 1910, providing country of women of the prohibited class; and even if a woman married to a citizen might be permitted to enter if she does not belong to that class, yet if she is found violating the statute by being in a house of prostitution, she becomes subject to deportation, notwithstanding her marriage to a citizen; Low Wah Suey v. Backus, 225 U. S. 4G0, 32 Sup. Ct. 734, 56 L. Ed. 1165. June 25, 1910, congress passed the white slave traffic act forbidding the transportation of women for the purpose of prostitution. It was held constitutional; Paulsen v. U. S., 199 Fed. 423, 118 C. C. A. 97. See White Suave Act; Bawdy-House. See Flexner, Prostitution in Europe; Kneeland, Commercialized Prostitution in New York City; Procuration; White Slave. In a figurative sense, it signifies the bad use which a corrupt judge makes of the law, by making it subservient to his interest: as, the prostitution of the law, the prostitution of justice.