Man’s Early Release From 30-Year Prison Sentence Shines Light On Laws That Unfairly Penalize People With HIV, Advocates Say
An appeals court in Missouri found that the trial of Michael Johnson was fundamentally unfair. Johnson was found guilty in 2015 of neglecting to tell sexual partners he had HIV. He denied those charges. Many laws on "HIV crimes,'' were written in the 1980s. “We don’t charge people with other incurable diseases, like hepatitis, with a criminal offense for exposing others,” said Eric M. Selig, a lawyer who negotiated on Johnson's behalf. On news on HIV is on unexpected costs associated with HIV prevention medicine.
The New York Times:
He Emerged From Prison A Potent Symbol Of H.I.V. Criminalization
Last week, Michael L. Johnson, a former college wrestler convicted of failing to disclose to sexual partners that he was H.I.V. positive in a racially charged case that reignited calls to re-examine laws that criminalize H.I.V. exposure, walked out of the Boonville Correctional Center in Missouri 25 years earlier than expected. Mr. Johnson, 27, was released on parole on Tuesday after an appeals court found that his 2015 trial was “fundamentally unfair.” His original sentence was longer than the state average for second-degree murder. (Rueb, 7/14)
Kaiser Health News:
Even When HIV Prevention Drug Is Covered, Other Costs Block Treatment
Three years ago, Corey Walsh, who was in a relationship with a man who was HIV-positive, got a prescription for Truvada, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent infection with the virus that causes AIDS. Walsh, then 23, was covered by his parents’ health insurance policy, which picked up the cost of the drug. But the price tag for the quarterly lab tests and doctor visits he needed as part of the prevention regimen cost him roughly $400, more than he could afford. (Andrews, 7/15)
