State Supreme Court justices questioned Wednesday whether high school cheerleaders trying to flag down motorists for a car wash might run afoul of a broadly written ordinance targeting pushy Las Vegas-area prostitutes.

Justices Michael Douglas and Ron Parraguirre raised the possibility during a hearing on an appeal filed by Lani Silvar, charged under the Clark County ordinance with misdemeanor "loitering for the purpose of prostitution."

While the high court's ruling won't be issued until a later date, Parraguirre expressed concern that the ordinance is too broad. He says an arrest would be based on, "essentially a hunch" by an officer that an illegal act of prostitution might occur.

Under the ordinance, police can arrest someone who "repeatedly beckons to, stops, attempts to stop or engage persons passing by in conversation, or repeatedly stops or attempts to stop motor vehicle operators by hailing, waiving of arms or other bodily gestures."

Susan Burke, Silvar's lawyer, says that wording criminalizes totally legal behavior and could lead to the arrest of people going out of their way to get a date with someone else.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)