Yep. In Cali, the shít is a year in jail or (the most likely option) a $1,000 fine... at worst!Man most of the time, these charges never stick in court. It's a complete waste of time and resources
The best-case scenario (from what I've heard) is that you plead not guilty and the case gets thrown out because the state doesn't want to waste resources on trying you... and that's, apparently, pretty common.
In the middle, you'd plead guilty, catch a $1,000 fine, and then have to attend an anti-prostitution course for a week.