http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/ap_on_re_us/hiv_positive_suspect

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.

Yeah. Texas doesn't really mess around.

Nothing like getting arrested for public intox and ending up with a 35 year stint.

I dunno, if someone with AIDS spit on my face, purposefully, I would want him to go to prison.

You know, in most states having a black belt legally makes your hands and feet deadly weapons. If you have a deadly and contagious virus and you intentionally do something to spread it, you deserve prison.

I'm kind of torn about this one.

I'm pretty sure HIV has never been shown to be transferred through saliva. I could be wrong. But how do you prove that the offender's intent was to transmit HIV when it is statistically impossible.

The 35 years part is truly excessive. The guy was drunk, the odds of him seriously harming someone if he drove are astronomically higher than by spitting at them. What's the sentence for driving drunk in Texas? What's the sentence for driving drunk and killing someone?

Ridiculous. It's very hard to tramsit HIV to anyone if you're not having anal sex or sharing needles. That's just a fact that's easily found on numerous respectable websites. You certainly can't transmit it by spitting on someone, so even if that was the guy's intention, you don't give someone 35 years for being an idiot. I'd think the most serious and somewhat justifiable charge they could have given him was assault on a police officer. I have no clue what you get for that in Texas.

Public beheading?

Simple question, does the cop now have HIV? If so, I'm with buffalohed, I'd want the guy in prison. If not then maybe I'd rethink it.

so attempted murder's OK with you? sicko.

You can't transmit HIV through saliva, except maybe under very certain circumstances (hardcore french kissing with both involved having cuts in thier mouths, which isn't the case here -- even then it's not probable). It is not attempted murder, it's an act of disrespect, and by law maybe an assault. Should he spend some time in jail? Sure. I'm thinking more like 35 days though if that. Public Intoxication is not that serious if nobody is hurt. Getting spit on doesn't hurt.

we don't know this guy's intent, do we? maybe he meant to hit a fresh cut the cop had from shaving, but missed. anyway, i bet he gets out in 17.5 years ... no harm done.

No harm done? Even spending a few years in jail pretty much forces you to start over in life. Seventeen years destroys your life. He should not have spit on the cop. I admit that. That fact that he has HIV makes his intent suspicious. I admit that. Still, you're ruining someone's life for spitting on a cop. If he has HIV, he may not even be around in 17 years.

maybe he should have thought of that before getting infected with HIV.