The details about New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution scandal are still just trickling out—Fox News naturally jumped the gun and had him all but heading off to prison—but if the feds are really going to prosecute Spitzer for ordering up a $4,300 hooker, in all likelihood he would be subject to D.C. and not federal law. (Spitzer was in D.C. when he called the escort service, and unless he was doing something really stupid like using public money to pay the bill, his crime hardly reaches the level of a federal offense and would likely go to local prosecutors.) D.C.s’ criminal penalties for prostitution are pretty mild for first-time offenders, as Spitzer would presumably be. He’s unlikely to be facing jail time. What he might have to endure, though, is a day-trip to John School.
In D.C., men who get caught trying to pay for sex are frequently required to attend an 8-hour class known as John School, run through the U.S. Attorney’s office, where they are schooled about the evils of prostitution, introduced to “survivors” of prostitution, and counseled by a psychologist about sexual addiction. Helpfully, they’re also offered free STD testing from the Department of Health. Spitzer wouldn’t be the first high-profile person to land in John School. Lots of local professional athletes have been through, including, most recently, Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche. It wouldn’t be fun, but it definitely beats the alternative, which could be a stint in the D.C. jail.
