Mistrial in Massage Parlor Prosecution: Key Witness Recognized Defense Attorney as a Client

In this federal massage parlor case, a man accused of exploiting immigrant women in his massage parlor was represented by attorney Douglas Rathe. Everything was going swimmingly until a key witness appeared on the stand and recognized Rathe as one of her massage clients. Rathe, a married man, admitted that he had seen the woman four times and even bought her perfume, but that nothing inappropriate happened.

Right... because I gift my massage therapist with perfume all the time.

The judge declared a mistrial.

Article from Above The Law

The case is built on charges of human trafficking and exploitation. But how many of you believe this massage parlor, staffed with unlicensed immigrant massage therapists, wasn't giving out happy endings?

No matter what I always encourage people to fight the case in courts.

I agree most unlicensed immigrant massage therapists are probably giving happy endings. They are here in this country and have to pay off whoever brought them here.

It is sad that these women are looking for a better life but end up getting abused.

........Just like there are US citizens that are unlicensed giving happy endings.

It is sad that these women are looking for a better life but end up getting abused. Originally Posted by mikkifine

Random tidbit: Ksenych — who immigrated to the United States from the Ukraine five years ago, at age 20 — has a degree in… wait for it… yes, law.
Career alternatives for attorneys: massage therapist? That’s one way of rubbing out student debt.


She had a Law degree , yet she was working at a massage parlor. I had heard that you could make a couple hundred grand at those places.

I had heard that you could make a couple hundred grand at those places. Originally Posted by WTF

I know for a fact 3k a week was a so-so week for me when I worked for one and this was BEFORE I became an escort. Too bad she moved - I would still be there.

For some reason people think that the majority of ladies that work in these parlors are illegals.

I know for a fact 3k a week was a so-so week for me when I worked for one and this was BEFORE I became an escort. Too bad she moved - I would still be there.

For some reason people think that the majority of ladies that work in these parlors are illegals. Originally Posted by Naomi4u

Some Nazi Feminist and the Religious Right are teamed up on this.

They do not think women have a mind to choose wtf they want to do to make money.

Hell allot people.... well lets just say some former posters to this forum think that way.

Are there people here illegally doing this, yes but it is nothing like they make it out.

Career alternatives for attorneys: massage therapist? That’s one way of rubbing out student debt. Originally Posted by WTF

You're a really punny guy.

I find it sad when anyone - male or female, illegal immigrant or US citizen - is exploited for any reason. And I'm all for prosecution of human traffickers and their consorts.

But I find it quite silly that the owner of the massage parlor AND Douglas Rathe BOTH seemed to think it was a brilliant idea that Rathe defend the parlor in this case. Did the fact that Rathe was a client not come up at some point? Did Rathe fail to review the witness list and recognize his masseuse crush? Did Rathe somehow skate by in Ethics class without ever attending a single lecture?

I think I'm more disturbed that this attorney has been practicing law for so long and yet made such an egregious error in judgment.

You're a really punny guy.

I find it sad when anyone - male or female, illegal immigrant or US citizen - is exploited for any reason. And I'm all for prosecution of human traffickers and their consorts.

But I find it quite silly that the owner of the massage parlor AND Douglas Rathe BOTH seemed to think it was a brilliant idea that Rathe defend the parlor in this case. Did the fact that Rathe was a client not come up at some point? Did Rathe fail to review the witness list and recognize his masseuse crush? Did Rathe somehow skate by in Ethics class without ever attending a single lecture?

I think I'm more disturbed that this attorney has been practicing law for so long and yet made such an egregious error in judgment. Originally Posted by Natalie Reign

Well according to the article, he did not recognize her legal name and only knew her from her stage name.

How was the owner of the place supposed to know unless the lawyer told him?

Do you find it strange that a lady with a law degree was supposedly being held against her will, doing massages against her will?

Or maybe the DA had cut her a deal to save her law license?

The article went on to say that the DA did not want a mistrial, the defendant did.

He fired his lawyer!

Nobody wants anyone doing anything aganist their will but do you know how many jobs I have done that I hated, nobody made me do them and I suspect that was the case here.

I can't recall a law grad working ina massage palor aganist her will, ever.

........Just like there are US citizens that are unlicensed giving happy endings. Originally Posted by Naomi4u

yeah that`s a bummer, really :-) how dare they :-)

Well according to the article, he did not recognize her legal name and only knew her from her stage name.

How was the owner of the place supposed to know unless the lawyer told him?

Do you find it strange that a lady with a law degree was supposedly being held against her will, doing massages against her will?

Or maybe the DA had cut her a deal to save her law license?

The article went on to say that the DA did not want a mistrial, the defendant did.

He fired his lawyer!

Nobody wants anyone doing anything aganist their will but do you know how many jobs I have done that I hated, nobody made me do them and I suspect that was the case here.

I can't recall a law grad working ina massage palor aganist her will, ever. Originally Posted by WTF

No one is ever held against their will, it happens but rarely. Its same like you say all marriages are bad , because some are. Its just one of these claims generally made, i assume, because also girls get deals if they say something against their agency, and in the end everyone only worries about their own precious end of the back. Its all politics, and they want to make their case fit in court, claim as much as possible and get at least some fuzz down the road.

To the attorney / judge thingie: I wonder if there are ANY attorneys /judges out there who do not frequent escorts all the time. Given this, i wonder why some of them don`t use their power or influence to make life for escorts a little better and to not make life a hell for owners of massage parlors or escort agencies.
Aren`t there some terrorists to catch? And unless they pay taxes, who gives a flying .... something.

I do agree with the claim to be a massage therapist while you are not. They are strict in the USA, and while getting caught as a sexworker is a misdemeanor , pretending to be a massage therapist is a felony ( i hope i got that one right).

, pretending to be a massage therapist is a felony ( i hope i got that one right). Originally Posted by ninasastri

Not in Texas....but yes the real massage industry does not like it when people claim to give massages without a license.

Hell those are the only one's I get a massage from.

Who the heck doesn't like a happy ending!

Some Nazi Feminist and the Religious Right are teamed up on this.

They do not think women have a mind to choose wtf they want to do to make money.

Hell allot people.... well lets just say some former posters to this forum think that way.

Are there people here illegally doing this, yes but it is nothing like they make it out. Originally Posted by WTF

Well, i assume there are always minimum two sides to every story, some don`t have a choice, as a matter of fact, i think in life people always have a choice which dependencies they get prone too.
Choice generally is a bit overrated. I mean I "choose" to do this and that and then still might be obstacles to achieve it, and for some people it is easier to overcome them and for some it isn`t. A child in africa does not "choose" to starve, to put it with a blunt example IMHO.

Funny, typical hypocrisy etc, but what a dumb attorney! Makes me wonder what his motivations would be in taking on a case like that. Subconscious need for his private life to be known? A way to get out of a lousy relationship...

Long list of possibles, sad. But I guess it worked out for the massage parlour!

She had a Law degree , yet she was working at a massage parlor. I had heard that you could make a couple hundred grand at those places. Originally Posted by WTF

which one of these places , the law offices or the massage parlors :-))

Funny, typical hypocrisy etc, but what a dumb attorney! Makes me wonder what his motivations would be in taking on a case like that. Subconscious need for his private life to be known? A way to get out of a lousy relationship...

Long list of possibles, sad. But I guess it worked out for the massage parlour! Originally Posted by Chloe Kensington

I fully agree with your ideas about the subconscious, but also on the other side you might think the more obvious idea is that some people are just plain and simple stupid. Many people are so content with their lives and would never guess that something like being "stupid" applies to them, and then they simply forget about the obvious. It happens quite often in all kinds of areas. What is obvious for some is outright not visible for others, especially for those who think of themselves as so superiour to others. Might well have been , he was one of these. And that are the consequences, because they forget to think that the "rules of gravity" apply to them as well, with their head up in the sky full of themselves :-).....