Thread by @stephenlemons

LaceyLarkin and Trial just broke for lunch after the tearful testimony of a young woman who was trafficked out in early age she had three pimps during a time where she had run away from home twice 1/

I’m not going to use the woman’s name because she obviously was victimized by somebody when she was age 15 and 16. My caveat would be that she was not victimized by Michael Lacey or Jim Larkin or any of their four codefendants 2/

Attorneys for the defense fought to keep this testimony out, because it does not relate to any of the underlying 50 ads in the indictment 3/

But Judge Brnovich is allowing it because one of the charges against the defendants involves conspiracy to violate the travel act, allegedly to violate misdemeanor prostitution laws in various states. 4/

And previously the judge has ruled that far more serious crimes such as sex trafficking and child sex trafficking are subsets of misdemeanor prostitution. 5/

The judge said she would allow limited testimony by this witness and she has cut off the prosecutor a few times when he tried to go into details of this woman being abused as a girl 6/

The woman said her pimps, she had three over a period of time, posted ads with her photo to Backpage. And apparently she posted some of the ads as well. She did not get to keep the money from her encounters with men 7/

She was ultimately rescued by a police officer who was pretending to be a John And who answered her Backpage ad. This goes to the point that police now have a harder time of finding and rescuing trafficked minors such as this young woman Because #Backpage no longer exists 8/

The young woman testified against her pimp who was convicted. She also brought a lawsuit against Backpage and it was settled. 9/

After lunch the young woman will return to the stand and later in the day her mother will testify as well. I’ll report at the next break after lunch. For a wrapup of today’s events, likely posted this evening, Please see frontpageconfidential.com 10/

One little excuse for myself, if you will allow me, Im not allowed to use my laptop or cell phone in the courtroom. Other reporters like a certain dude at the Arizona Republic R doing their reporting by listening to audio of the proceedings via phone line the clerk gives out 11/

I know this because they are not present in the courtroom, like I am, Sweating their keisters off in This glass courthouse in 110° heat 12/

I can’t blame them for doing this. And it definitely gives them an edge as far as reporting what’s happening.But I want to see what’s happening for myself And report based on that. 13/

So thank God for Twitter. Out for now.14/14