2 ms·

I'm going to nitpick: "One notorious case prosecutors cited is State v Smith, in which a New Jersey appeals court upheld the conviction and 25-year prison sent

I'm going to nitpick: "One notorious case prosecutors cited is State v Smith, in which a New Jersey appeals court upheld the conviction and 25-year prison sentence of an HIV-positive inmate. The inmate, Gregory D Smith, threatened to kill corrections officers by biting or spitting on them. HIV cannot be spread through saliva, a fact known for more than a decade by the time the conviction was upheld." No, HIV cannot be spread by saliva _alone_, but what if your spit contained blood? Maybe you had gum disease, maybe you were just hitting your face against the wall of your cell, causing bleeding. Studies of the risk of HIV transmission during dental procedures shows it's very low. But it's not zero.

thatcat 5y ago
That's a bad comparison for many reasons. Hiv is not covid, the method of transmission - coughing is involuntary. Compared to your example it will be very difficult to prove intent. The result is not the same either, if no one actually even got sick then this is over reach. Where i live during that time period officers refused to wear masks unapologetically and continue to refuse the vaccine. Is knowingly refusing to protect people you're forcing to interact with you despite the fact that you're having frequent face to face interactions that increase transmission risk not a similar disregard for the health of others? It all seems very hypocritical and absurd.