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HIV-positive man sentenced 35 years for spitting at officer

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mercer_buckeye;1163953; said:
I was under the assumption that you couldn't contract HIV through saliva. It could be wrong, but I remember well being taught that in health class when I was in school.
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OSUsushichic;1163959; said:
No known cases contracted through saliva.

American Red Cross - Health and Safety Services - HIV/AIDS Facts, November 2001
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Sushi was already on it, but I was gonna say, it's a blood borne disease. However, LOTS of people either don't know or are just so freaked out about the possibility of catching it, they don't care and react to saliva, or even touching someone infected, as though that is all it will take to spread it to them.


I would be more sympathetic for this cop if the guy had flung blood at him. For that, I would even agree to a possible "attempted murder" charge. But spitting at someone and getting assault with a deadly weapon? No way, it's an over reaction. The man who spit, well, he did it with an intent to scare and that is abominable so some kind of punishment is in order but this seems overboard. But a damn cop ought to be more knowledgeable about salive, blood borne diseases, and HIV in particular to know he was never in danger.
 
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OSUsushichic;1164017; said:
Fearmongering, although the idiot wasn't too bright to spit at a cop, unless a gay slur was involved.
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I don't care if a gay slur was used or not...that should have zero to do with the sentence. Also, their are murderers, pedophiles, and rapists who get less time for far more heinous crimes. Even if it were possible that HIV was transmissable via saliva, there is only potential for the cop developing AIDS, not a guarantee that he would.
 
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mercer_buckeye;1163960; said:
So why a 35 year sentence?
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I'm guessing intent. While medically unsound it's not likely this guy spit in the man's eyes and mouth by accident. If he was trying to pass on the virus intentionally, then send him off to prison. Society can do without him.
 
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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.
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From Sushi's article;

Detailed Answer: AIDS (a result of HIV infection) is caused by a virus (HIV). There are no known cases of saliva by itself spreading HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). The possibility that saliva can spread HIV is considered only theoretical because --
  • Saliva contains proteins that reduce the ability of HIV to infect cells.
  • Researchers very rarely are able to isolate HIV in saliva.
  • There are only small amounts of HIV in the saliva of people with HIV, even in the saliva of people with bleeding gums or sores in the mouth. However, there have been extremely rare cases of transmission by severe human bites, in which the HIV-positive person?s saliva contained visible blood.
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I guess in Texas spit must be a dangerous weapon
 
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Jake;1164243; said:
I'm guessing intent. While medically unsound it's not likely this guy spit in the man's eyes and mouth by accident. If he was trying to pass on the virus intentionally, then send him off to prison. Society can do without him.
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Intent equates to 35 years?!!? If that is the case, then idiocy ruled the day in that Dallas courtroom.

I am also willing to bet Pete Rose $50 that this guy knew he couldn't pass the virus on via spitting.
 
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