Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 4, 1992                   TAG: 9203040197
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Richmond bureau
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

PAID SEX COULD COST OFFENDERS THEIR CARS

They would lose their cars.

The 20-0 vote by the House Courts of Justice Committee was a victory for activists from Norfolk's Ocean View community, who want to drive riffraff from their neighborhood. Now the bill goes to the full House, where easy approval is expected.

Sponsored by Sen. Joseph Benedetti, R-Richmond, the measure is similar to one introduced last month by Del. Howard Copeland, D-Norfolk, that died in the House.

On this version, though, several activists from Ocean View worked with the legislators for a compromise: Originally the bill would have taken cars away from first-time offenders.

Under the bill as endorsed by the committee, police could seize the car of anyone - prostitutes or "johns" - arrested a second time for a prostitution-related offense if the car was used in the crime.

If the suspect were convicted, a judge could make the seizure permanent.

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