9th Circuit revives lawsuit alleging sex trafficking in Nevada legal brothels

A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the lawsuit of Jane Doe, who contends she was sex-trafficked while working in Nevada’s legal brothels between 2017 and 2022. The panel held that the district court abused its discretion by dismissing the case after refusing Doe’s request to proceed under a pseudonym. It said the lower court gave insufficient weight to Doe’s need for anonymity, which she said was necessary to avoid physical danger, psychological stress, and embarrassment.

The appellate judges also found the district court overestimated the prejudice to defendants and misapplied the public-interest factor, noting that credibility assessments belong to a jury, not the public. Doe’s complaint characterizes Nevada’s regulated prostitution system as a state-sanctioned sex trade that violates the 13th Amendment and forces women into debt bondage. The panel included Judges Mark Bennett, Gabriel Sanchez, and visiting Judge John Holcomb. The suit was originally filed in February 2024.