Just in case you'd like some outrage with your coffee on a monday
morning...

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Irene Weiser" <iweiser@...>
> Date: Thu Jul 3, 2003 2:49:18 PM US/Eastern
> To: "'RAINNet'" <RAINNet@yahoogroups.com>, "5rs"
> <fivers@yahoogroups.com>, "'Vawa Yahoo'" <vawa@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [RAINNet] Where's the justice?
> Reply-To: RAINNet@yahoogroups.com
>
> Body fluids on a police officer = life sentence
> Breaking your wife's arm = 1 year
> Body fluids on a rape victim = ?
>
> (sounds like one of those mastercard commercials or something..For
> everything else there's... Justice??)
>
> Man Gets Life in Prison for Spitting
> July 3, 2003
> By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
> Filed at 12:38 p.m. ET
>
> SAPULPA, Okla. (AP) -- A convicted rapist has been
> sentenced to life in prison for spitting on a police
> officer.
>
> Creek County Associate District Judge April Sellers White
> followed the recommendation of a jury for the maximum
> sentence against John C. Marquez under a law that makes it
> a felony to place bodily fluids on law enforcement
> officers.
>
> White rejected a prosecution request for a 25-year prison
> term and a defense request for a four-year term.
>
> Following sentencing Monday, Marquez's attorney, Jason
> Serner, promised an appeal to the state Court of Criminal
> Appeals. No appeal had been filed by Thursday.
>
> Marquez, 35, was convicted of hurling body fluids on
> Sapulpa Officer Charles Gadd while Gadd was taking Marquez
> to jail following a domestic disturbance in which a woman's
> arm was broken.
>
> The 1996 state law that makes it a felony to place bodily
> fluids on law enforcement officers was enacted amid
> concerns that deadly diseases, such as AIDS, could be
> transmitted this way.
>
> Gadd told the jury that Marquez spit on him despite being
> warned and then bit him when Gadd was trying to prevent
> Marquez from spitting again.
>
> Gadd and Marquez tested negative for any communicable
> diseases.
>
> The jury took 15 minutes on May 14 to recommend the life
> sentence. Marquez's prior felony convictions, including
> rape and burglary, were taken into consideration in
> determining the sentence.
>
> In addition to the life term, Marquez received one year in
> jail and a $3,000 fine for his conviction for domestic
> assault and a $500 fine for resisting a peace officer.
>
> Telephone calls to the judge, the prosecuting attorney and
> the defense attorney were not returned Thursday.
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Spitting-
> Sentence.html?ex=105825
> 7665&ei=1&en=0bbbb84c5f40a659
>
>
> Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company
>
>
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--
Valerie L'Herrou
Coalition Projects Director
Virginians Aligned Against Sexual Assault
434.979.9002
http://www.vaasa.org