Judge dismisses bid to outlaw all Nevada brothels

U.S. District Judge Miranda Du has dismissed the lawsuit seeking to make prostitution illegal in Nevada.

There are currently legal brothels in seven Nevada counties. Prostitution is illegal by state law in Clark County and by county ordinance in Washoe and Carson City. But some Nevada counties that have brothels have no ordinance on the books making them legal or illegal.

The lawsuit was filed by anti-prostitution activist Jason Guinasso on behalf of three women who claimed they were the victims of sex trafficking in legal brothels.

Developer Lance Gilman, owner of Mustang Ranch Brothel, filed to intervene in the February lawsuit. He said he was extremely pleased with the judge’s ruling. He described Guinasso’s claims as “incendiary allegations that are steeped in moral judgment rather than facts and done for political gain rather than establishment of sound policy.”

Gilman said sex trafficking is a very serious issue for the legal brothel operators who he said are dedicated to the health and safety of the women working in the industry.

The lawsuit, he said, was a complete waste of time and resources.

Guinasso was also involved in the ballot initiative to outlaw the brothels in Lyon County in the last election. The measure was defeated by a margin of almost four to one.