Title: Cop to callgirl
Description: Written By Bernie Weisz   Historian, Pembroke Pines, Florida USA Contact: E mail:BernWei1@aol.com  11/21/09                                                     Title of Review:Norma Jean Amodovar-Putting Her In Prison Did Not Silence Her! The question is: "Is prostitution about sex or about the  right of adult women to choose for themselves what they want to do with their bodies"? In 1972, Norma Jean Almodovar landed a job as a meter maid in the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department at age 21. Shortly after, she earned the moniker "bionic arm" because she was writing vast quantities of parking tickets. She was also mixing work with pleasure. In "Cop to Call Girl", Norma Jean claimed that while she had sex with many cops, her main social goal was to find a policeman that was very adroit at "making love". Instead, she disappointingly discovered that: "cops think sex is like using a gun. All you have to do is take aim and shoot".  

Norma Jean also wrote in this book that while she was only seeking pleasure, some of her L.A.P.D. supervisors hinted strongly that having sex with fellow cops could have "other benefits", and that "if she would have sex with the right people, this would be highly advantageous both politically and for her career".  Could it be possible, in light of the Rodney King affair, that while there could never be any proof of these allegations, Norma Jean had more than just a very active imagination and this really occurred? Or, as the title of this book foreshadows her later choice of vocation, can it be that Norma Jean's claims were a justification for an unconscionable career choice? The reader of "Cop to Call Girl" will be questioned to decide just this. 

Norma Jean Almodovar also claims in her book that she was privy to other questionable, unsavory L.A.P.D. police behaviors.  Almodovar details stories of cops demanding sex from prostitutes. She claimed that the L.A.P.D., in the guise of protecting these women, extorted them into acts of sex, with the prostitute being faced with the dilemma of consent to free sex or being arrested.  Disenchanted with the corruption and hyprocriscy of the L.A.P.D., in 1982 Almodovar found a "more promising" career.  Looking at other prostitutes, she examined their lives and saw that it wasn't stressful like her old one was with the L.A.P.D. Her first idea of prostitution was that it was a way to make a political statement, i.e. "it's my body, it's my choice". Claiming that she would rather "be a whore than work for the L.A.P.D.", once Almodovar began engaging in prostitution, she found out that contrary to the way she had been raised to believe about it, "the job" was quite enjoyable. In fact, she regretted not doing it 10 years earlier. 

In regard to being paid to engage in her favorite pastime, i.e. sex, Almodovar found it to be "very therapuetic, healing and nurturing" for her. Almodovar asserts that "instead of sex being a "big fix" for someone that must have a sexual release, she was able to provide her paying clients with someone to talk to and listen to what their problems were.  Claiming that her least expensive date was $200 an hour and watching her personal fortune soar, her smallest fear was the L.A.P.D. catching her. Seeing that the L.A.P.D.'s attitude towards call girls was very cavalier and that they only arrested prostitutes for "being on the street", Almodovar falsely thought she was safe from arrest. Then, in June, 1983, Almodovar's troubles started. Calling an ex-coworker, traffic control officer Penny Isgrow at the L.A.P.D. by phone, Almodovar spoke freely about her new profession. Telling Isgrow how satisfied and happy she was in her new profession, Almodovar foolishly mentioned how she was writing a book about L.A.P.D. police corruption. 

During the conversation, Isgrow, a discontented, overweight woman in her mid 50's confided to Almodovar that her lifelong fantasy was to be a call girl herself. Knowing that Isgrow would never be able to fulfill her fantasy, Almodovar met a new client shortly after their conversation whose preferences were for old, heavy set women. Altruistically attempting to fulfill her friend's fantasy, Almodovar foolishly offered Isgrow a chance to be a "call girl for a night" with this new client. However, Isgrow deceptively turned out to be Almodovar's worst nightmare. Reporting her conversations with Almodovar to the L.A.P.D., shortly after the L.A.P.D. began recording their subsequent phone calls.  While the tape recorder was running, Isgrow called back and asked Almodovar incriminating questions like "What do I have to do", and "Is there money involved"? 

Becoming suspiciously paranoid, Almodovar called off the date, but with the police recordings, the damage was already done. The next day, 7 police officers brandishing pistols came to Almodovar's house and arrested her for "pandering". During her arrest, a draft of "Cop to Call Girl" was confiscated. "Pandering" is encouraging a person to commit an act of prostitution and is very hard to prove in court. Vice cops often gather evidence through undercover investigation and informants. Often working with prostitutes who want to break away from their abusive pimps, these informants are frequently less than credible on the witness stand. The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Richard Weber, had a different problem. Weber had his hands full convincing a jury that a fat, 54 year old woman with the body of an L.A. Rams linebacker could be pandered out as a prostitute by Norma Jean Almodovar. The prosecution simply didn't make sense. 

Even today, Almodovar, who has quite an interesting web site, claims she was "busted" by the L.A.P.D. because she was planning to expose corruption on the force, and that "pandering" was only a cover up. Having a draft of "Cop to Call Girl" in police possession, the D.A. made Almodovar an offer. Even though the law stated that it was mandatory that Almodovar go to prison if convicted, if she would plead guilty the State would promise her only "Probation". Angered by the illegal confiscation of her book, Almodovar indignantly refused to plead guilty and wanted her day in court. This she received, and she stood for trial in September, 1984, with Penny Isgrow as the State's "star procecution witness". 

Admitting that she talked the way she did on the taped phone conversations played during the trial to "entrap" Almodovar into believing that she was Almodovar's friend, Isgrow concluded her testimony by stating that the whole reason she did this was to stop Almodovar from writing an expose on police corruption. Regardless, the jury still found Almodovar guilty, with a 3 year mandatory sentence imposed. However, the Judge, Hon. Aurolio Munoz, felt that jail time for Almodovar would be "cruel and unusual punishment" and on September 26, 1984 sentenced her to 3 years probation. Enraged of the conviction, Almodovar hit the talk show circuit. She also became politically active and joined the "Libertarian Party" in 1986 and ran for "Lieutenant Governor" of California. 

Although receiving 88,000 votes, and running under slogans such as "Cut The Red Tape", and "Sell Your Body, Not Your Soul", Almodovar lost her bid. On the "Joan Rivers Show", Almodovar opened her segment with the following: "I've got some advice for our audience. If you ever get raped, robbed or assaulted and you've got to call the police, don't tell them you've been raped robbed or assaulted. Tell them Norma Jean Almodovar is in your front yard pandering and you'll have cops there in a second". Angered by her behavior on national television, along with her public outcry of: "In America, you shouldn't go to prison just because you wrote a book about the L.A.P.D.", District Attorney Ira Reiner decided to appeal her sentence of probation. In March, 1987, a California Appeals Court decided that Almodovar should be resentenced. Despite her fans and supporters protesting against it, she was hit with a 3 year sentence of prison. 

Graphically chronicling her incarceration, Almodovar served 18 months at the California Institute for Women.  Norma Jean Almodovar concluded this incredible book with writing about right after her release form prison in 1988, she took up the rights of prostitutes in society by working with a group called C.O.Y.O.T.E. ("Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics". C.O.Y.O.T.E's focus is to decriminalize prostitution and dispose of negative connotations falsely associated with the "world's oldest profession". On the TV. program "American Justice" Norma Jean Almodovar went on record recently by asking America the following question: "Is society better off because jails are filled with prostitutes who solicited money for acts of sex they could have had anyway's"? Personally, I don't think so! Great book, a well constructed and quick paced story....not to be missed!!! Get  this one!
Subjects: Biography, Police corruption, Policewomen, Prostitutes, Almodovar, Norma Jean.
Places: California, Los Angeles
People: Norma Jean Almodovar