HIV-positive man sentenced 35 years for spitting at officer

[DeadPoolX 9]

Even if you have unprotected vaginal sex with someone who has HIV, the transmission rate is still very low.

Not that this is a reason to do it of course.

That's partially true.

The transmission rate for STDs (including HIV) is higher for women than it is for men. That makes sense, when you think about it. During sexual intercourse, women are the recipients of an act requiring insertion and often, the deposit of bodily fluids. Men don't have that issue to deal with. In addition, female genitalia has a much larger mucus membrane area, whereas men have a far smaller area. All of this adds up to that it's more difficult (but certainly not impossible) for men to acquire STDs from a woman than it is for a woman to get an STD from a man.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Does a migraine and the fact I caught two teenage punks egging my car count?

Only in Texas....

just kidding

Didn't think it was even possible to get HIV through saliva, no matter how much.

If there are any microscopic openings in the tissue of the mouth, HIV can enter those openings, make its way to the bloodstream, and eventually start reproducing, infecting the individual with HIV.

This is true - but surely the odds of it happening are like trying to hit a bullseye in the dark without knowing where board is.

35 years is excessive - in any reasonable interpretation.

At the very least I'd imagine that you'd need evidence that the spitter actually had a specific intent in the mind to infect the officer with HIV. I think that's very hard to prove..

[wifetobe 2]

DALLAS - An HIV-positive man convicted of spitting into the eye and mouth of a Dallas police officer has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Because a jury found that Willie Campbell used his saliva as a deadly weapon, the 42-year-old will have to serve half his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. He was sentenced Wednesday.

Campbell was being arrested in May 2006 for public intoxication when he began resisting and kicking inside the patrol car, Dallas police office Dan Waller testified.

Campbell was convicted of harassment of a public servant.

You can't catch HIV through saliva, and 35 years is outrageous and unjustified. I'm sure the copper was tested negative. The 35 year sentence sounds about right for TEXAS

[Fandango 1,439]

What IF the guy had an open wound in his mouth, and the cop did as well?????? The fact that they might not have does not mitigate the risk the guy took when spitting. It's all well and good to say 'oh but the odds are low or next to none' when the facts are that the act of the HIV+ man spitting COULD VERY WELL have transmitted the virus.

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

What IF the guy had an open wound in his mouth, and the cop did as well?????? The fact that they might not have does not mitigate the risk the guy took when spitting. It's all well and good to say 'oh but the odds are low or next to none' when the facts are that the act of the HIV+ man spitting COULD VERY WELL have transmitted the virus.

i just wonder if all the naysayers in this thread would be willing to take that test you listed above.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

What IF the guy had an open wound in his mouth, and the cop did as well?????? The fact that they might not have does not mitigate the risk the guy took when spitting. It's all well and good to say 'oh but the odds are low or next to none' when the facts are that the act of the HIV+ man spitting COULD VERY WELL have transmitted the virus.

But... the fact is the risk of HIV transmission is low to say the least. Logically if you're making a case for assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder you surely have to prove both the intent of the perp and his capacity to carry it out.

I know some folks have a hard-on for harsh prison sentences for the most minor offences (surely one reason the jails are full to overflowing) but this is just ridiculous.

Edited May 19, 2008 by Number 6

[Fandango 1,439]

But... the fact is the risk of HIV transmission is low to say the least. Logically if you're making a case for assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder you surely have to prove both the intent of the perp and his capacity to carry it out.

I know some folks have a hard-on for harsh prison sentences for the most minor offences (surely one reason the jails are full to overflowing) but this is just ridiculous.

Low does not mean none. And putting a police officer's life at RISK is hardly a 'most minor offense' Im sure the sentence would be lower if it was just an avg citizen, but at the end of the day, if an HIV+ spat into my eye and mouth causing me (at the very least) 6 MONTHS of worry over whether I contracted HIV, I'd want that b@stard in jail, too.

Edited May 19, 2008 by Happy Bunny

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

But... the fact is the risk of HIV transmission is low to say the least. Logically if you're making a case for assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder you surely have to prove both the intent of the perp and his capacity to carry it out.

I know some folks have a hard-on for harsh prison sentences for the most minor offences (surely one reason the jails are full to overflowing) but this is just ridiculous.

Low does not mean none. And putting a police officer's life at RISK is hardly a 'most minor offense' Im sure the sentence would be lower if it was just an avg citizen, but at the end of the day, if an HIV+ spat into my eye and mouth causing me (at the very least) 6 MONTHS of worry over whether I contracted HIV, I'd want that b@stard in jail, too.

I never said there was no risk - but that its so low as to make a case for intentional assault or attempted murder during an arrest rather OTT.

Quite simply - there's a lot of unjustified fear out there about HIV - for the most part based on general ignorance of readily available information.

I guess you haven't heard of "gassing" in prisons...

[Fandango 1,439]

Tell that to the cop and his family who are going to sweat out the next 6 mos........

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

The fact is that people in relationships with HIV positive people (gasp, yes it does happen) would not be advised by their doctors to refrain from kissing, with the possible exchange of fluids that that would involve. If the risk of infection were even remote enough to be considered, this would not be the case.

Simply put, the spit did not constitute a 'deadly weopon' and therefore the sentence is bogus.

[Fandango 1,439]

oh, and completely unrelated....can you amend ur siggy to have the youtubes side by side?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Tell that to the cop and his family who are going to sweat out the next 6 mos........

Gee - thanks for the sentimentality guilt trip.

Did you ever think that a doctor has probably already told the guy something similar?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

oh, and completely unrelated....can you amend ur siggy to have the youtubes side by side?

Sure. If you get rid of all the rabbits.

[Fandango 1,439]

Tell that to the cop and his family who are going to sweat out the next 6 mos........

Gee - thanks for the sentimentality guilt trip.

Did you ever think that a doctor has probably already told the guy something similar?

It's not a 'guilt trip'....its what I see as the heart of this matter. I know what it's like to wake up in fear of dying, getting my affairs in order, etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who has. Lemme tell you summat....it is the WORST feeling in the world. And hopefully for this cop, everything's ok...but at the end of the day, the next 6 months are going to be hellish for him and his family.

This is part of the reason why I feel this isn't some small bollox offense.....

And whether I do or don't think that a doc may have told this guy is irrelevant.

oh, and completely unrelated....can you amend ur siggy to have the youtubes side by side?

Sure. If you get rid of all the rabbits.

Defensive for no reason, party of one, your table is ready!

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

It's not a 'guilt trip'....its what I see as the heart of this matter. I know what it's like to wake up in fear of dying, getting my affairs in order, etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who has. Lemme tell you summat....it is the WORST feeling in the world. And hopefully for this cop, everything's ok...but at the end of the day, the next 6 months are going to be hellish for him and his family.

This is part of the reason why I feel this isn't some small bollox offense.....

And whether I do or don't think that a doc may have told this guy is irrelevant.

Unintentionally causing someone to worry about something, when that thing is not even real - the risk of infection - is not a criminal offense, no matter how emotional the cop gets about this matter.

If he is worrying, it is only because he is ignorant of the risk he was at of infection (negligable).

Edited May 19, 2008 by Poiteen