“Show cause” hearings are usually held in private, away from the public eye. Hearings for alleged customers of a high-end brothel will be open to the press, following requests from The Boston Globe, NBC10 Boston and WBUR.

28 people were accused of solicitation of sexual services at a Greater Boston brothel network that allegedly catered to a “wealthy and well-connected clientele.”

In addition to requesting public hearings, the Globe and WBUR also jointly petitioned the SJC to ask that documents in the case be released.Lawyers for 13 of the men accused of solicitation wrote that each defendant “will have their name and reputation tarnished before the criminal process has even issued and before he has any opportunity to defend himself.”

Associate Justice Frank M. Gaziano granted a request from the alleged Johns to postpone the Cambridge District Court proceedings until further notice. Some of the alleged Johns filed a motion objecting to the release of criminal complaint applications before show-cause hearings. They also argued that the hearings should not have been opened to the public in the first place. Judge Gaziano gave the men until Monday afternoon to file any further response to the request from the Globe and WBUR.

What is a Show Cause Hearing?
A show cause hearing is a hearing held in district court before a magistrate for crimes that are charged as misdemeanors. It is a hearing to establish “probable cause” in the criminal complaint filed by the prosecution so the accused can be formally charged. It is a vital step in the process of defending your rights as the accused. Your criminal defense attorney should be present and evidence has to be sufficient for you to be prosecuted for a crime. Opening a show cause hearing to the public is distressing for the individuals accused of the crime. Releasing documents before a show cause hearing puts the accused at even more of a disadvantage of being tried in the court of public opinion. At the show cause hearing, the accused has their show cause criminal defense attorney present, whereas criminal complaint documents represent law enforcement and the prosecution’s findings before the accused has had the opportunity to defend themselves.

Solicitation and Public Opinion
Regardless of the severity, certain crimes are viewed with more disapproval by the public. Solicitation of sexual services is one of these crimes. While solicitation is a misdemeanor with sentences that can be served within a few years, the fallout of an accusation or a conviction can last a lifetime. Sometimes the damage is done before a trial even gets underway, such as in the high profile accusations detailed above. It’s important that you have a solicitation defense attorney by your side who can protect not only your right to a fair trial but your privacy throughout the process. Many solicitation charges are dismissed. A show cause hearing is an opportunity to scrutinize the evidence brought by law enforcement and the prosecution. An experienced show cause hearing attorney will use all the available tools to ensure these charges are not taken lightly. If you or someone you know has been accused of solicitation or any crime in which there may be reputational damage, please contact the highly experienced criminal defense team at Dhar Law, LLP as soon as possible.