Lawyer Tells Court Dancer Wasn’t Paid for Sex Acts During Police-Staged Party

The lawyer for a woman charged with prostitution when she was arrested at a mock bachelor party staged by Newport Beach police officers argued at her trial Thursday that she was not paid for sex that night.

“She was paid to dance, and that’s what she did,” said Newport Beach attorney Gregory W. Jones, who represents 26-year-old Pamela Grace Weston. The sex, he said, was part of the party spirit the officers created.

Weston and another young woman were arrested after dancing nude in a room at the Irvine Marriott Hotel on Aug. 14, 1986. Police allege sexual contact between Weston and the supposed bridegroom, an undercover police officer.

In court Thursday, Jones and Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher J. Evans argued about whether Weston’s acts met the legal definition of prostitution.

Debate Police Actions

But later, out of court, the two lawyers debated the actions of the police officers.

Evans complained that publicity about the incident has made it appear that the officers did not arrest Weston until after they had watched her engage in sexual activity.

On the contrary, Evans contended: “Contact between the two (Weston and one of the police officers) lasted no more than two seconds at the most. The arrest was made just as quickly as possible.”

But Jones argued that it was highly suspicious for the police officers to stage the party in the first place.

“All of this expense--every one of those guys was on duty--to make a couple of prostitution arrests?” Jones said. “That’s like dropping an A-bomb on downtown Los Angeles to kill a Mediterranean fruit fly.”

Weston and Rhonda Linn Gary of Mission Viejo were paid $150 each by the officers to dance nude to recorded music at the party, according to testimony at Weston’s trial. To put the party together, the Newport Beach officers recruited detectives from the Santa Ana and Irvine police departments. There were 16 officers present altogether, with a three-man arrest team waiting in another room.

Watched Proceedings

Newport Beach Detective Randell Parker testified that the officers sat in a semi-circle around the “bridegroom,” who was not identified, and watched as the two women began removing his shirt and kissing him. The arrest was made shortly after Weston made sexual contact, according to testimony at her trial.

Evans said the arrest was supposed to have been made before sexual contact took place, but that Weston surprised them by moving so quickly.

Gary, 29, pleaded guilty and was fined $300 and placed on 18 months’ probation. But Jones said Weston refused to plead guilty because “she doesn’t think she did anything wrong.”

Weston is taking a risk by going to trial, Jones said. She has a prior prostitution conviction, and a conviction this time would mean an automatic 45-day jail sentence.

“She’s really a good kid; she’s just had a hard life and got started in this kind of thing,” Jones declared.

He added that she is now trying to straighten her life out. She has filled out an application for a job as an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department.