US News:

Lawyer charged with prostitution

Young attorney pleads not guilty to the charges

Attorney Reema Bajaj, 25, of Sycamore. (Police photo)

By Clifford Ward, Special to the Tribune

10:02 a.m. CDT, June 10, 2011
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A young attorney who received her law license last year has been charged with prostitution, officials say.

Reema Bajaj, 25, of Sycamore, pleaded not guilty Thursday in DeKalb County, according to her attorney David Camic of Aurora.

Police say they were investigating another case when they found evidence that linked Bajaj to prostitution that occurred in August 2010. The alleged incident occurred within 1,000 feet of a school, which elevates the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony, said DeKalb police Sgt. Bob Redel.

Bajaj, a 2010 graduate of the Northern Illinois University Law School, would not have been a practicing attorney at the time. According to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission website, she was admitted to the bar in November.

Bajaj also is charged with allegedly offering to perform a sex act last month with a man for $50, DeKalb County Assistant State's Attorney Julie Trevarthen said.

Bajaj faces two misdemeanor and one felony counts, officials said. She was charged May 31 and is free on bail after posting a $500 cash bond.

Bajaj, who reportedly grew up in the western suburbs, could not be reached for comment.

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