O U C H

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2003-07-03 12:20pm

This is rather harsh, is it not?

Man Gets Life in Prison for Spitting
Thu Jul 3, 7:53 AM ET

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - An Oklahoma man arrested on suspicion of beating his wife faced year in prison and a fine. But when he spit in an arresting officer's face, he got a life sentence instead, officials said on Wednesday.

John Carl Marquez, 36, was convicted of "placing bodily fluid upon a government employee," a felony that can carry a life sentence because of the possibility of transmitting a potentially deadly disease.

State judge April Sellers White sentenced Marquez this week even though Marquez and the officer tested negative for any communicable disease.

Marquez also was convicted of assaulting a police officer, and a jury recommended the maximum sentence because he had previous convictions.

Marquez, arrested several months ago, could have received one year in prison and a $3,000 fine for wife beating, according to the Creek County court clerk's office.

His lawyers said they plan to appeal.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2003-07-03 12:23pm

Okay I can safly say this.

Only in America and no I DONT mean that in a possitive way.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-07-03 12:24pm

JUSTICE! More trash needs to be locked up.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-07-03 12:27pm

I have an idea: Why don't you test the officer for disease and then give the guy life if the tests turn up positive? Why don't we give people life sentences for driving because you might run over something?

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2003-07-03 12:32pm

That is truly absurd. Don't get me wrong, the asshole deserves all the jail time in the world for being an abusive husband, but life because he spit on a cop?

I'm with Asst. Smi on this one.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-07-03 12:38pm

The crime is lacking the prerequisite of intent here. This law about spitting should really only apply if the person knew or should have known that they were diseased and THEN chose to spit on someone. If you or I know we are negative and then spit on someone, we are NOT putting them in danger. This is not right there must be more to this or the law is fatally flawed, partcilarly the punishemnt phase - LIFE IN PRISON?!

Sorry, I'm all for strict law enforcement and I am pro prosecution in many cases but this is absurd. I also think it says ALOT about our society when a man can beat his spouse and face a max of one year but spit on a police officer or any government official and face life in prison. What values are we promoting here?

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-07-03 12:41pm

Eugh. he deserves life for being a wife beating bastard, so he gets no sympathy from me.

Hethrir · Post by **Hethrir** » 2003-07-03 12:50pm

The trouble i see, is that they are giving him longer for spitting on a police officer than for beating a woman!

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2003-07-03 01:03pm

Hethrir wrote:The trouble i see, is that they are giving him longer for spitting on a police officer than for beating a woman!

Its OK as long as he didn't spit on her.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-07-03 01:04pm

Zoink wrote:
Hethrir wrote:The trouble i see, is that they are giving him longer for spitting on a police officer than for beating a woman!
Its OK as long as he didn't spit on her.

No because the law specifies government official so someone with AIDS can spit on you or me and lord knows what will hjappen but if we were a postal employee WATCH OUT!!

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-07-03 01:07pm

I'm finding it hard to locate sympathy. Anyway, is life actually life in that state or 20 years?

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-07-03 01:16pm

While the law is extremely stupid, I still think the punishment is appropriate for him.

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2003-07-03 01:37pm

It is dumb he got sentenced for the spitting thing, but that life sentence will keep him from beating women so it is a good thing in the end. Basically they got him on technicality and I think it is about time the system got the badguy on a technicality instead of the badguy getting off on one.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-07-03 01:43pm

Excuse me, but is everyone missing the point here? What if you were protesting GWB or the war and you spit on a Police officer or better yet a Postal employee who stopped to jeer you. You get LIFE?! Is that even remotely fair??

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2003-07-03 01:47pm

innerbrat wrote:Eugh. he deserves life for being a wife beating bastard, so he gets no sympathy from me.

Yes he is an asshole but he did only get 1 year for beating his wife.

But then he spit on an officer ang got life...

In a fair and good world he would get life for beating his wife and 1 year for spitting on the officer.

Hethrir · Post by **Hethrir** » 2003-07-03 01:47pm

You would be better off taking your anger out on your wife...now that is screwed up!

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-07-03 02:11pm

honestly, i think the spitting part is maybe a BIT overboard, but i can understand why a law is required. various diseases can be transmitted through saliva which can become highly deadly upon contact.

Jadeite · Post by **Jadeite** » 2003-07-03 02:25pm

According to a thread about this on SA, the guy had a pretty long list of crimes, including assault on an officer.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-07-03 04:17pm

Jadeite wrote:According to a thread about this on SA, the guy had a pretty long list of crimes, including assault on an officer.

Then why did they give him life for spitting on a police officer? Isn't that like arresting a 9 year-old driving down the road in a stolen car at 125 miles an hour because he wasn't wearing a seatbelt?

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-07-03 04:35pm

innerbrat wrote:Eugh. he deserves life for being a wife beating bastard, so he gets no sympathy from me.

I don't know. 20-25 years as some bubba's unwilling Prison Bitch seems more than enough punishment but you are right he is verging on needing to be permanently removed from the rest of society.

If this guy is shuch a constant irritant to society maybe he should be getting life before he ends up doing something that makes us wish he'd already been doing life.

Right now I'm think the best bet all around is that this guy's got a major case of the "oh shits" when he got a life sentence. Now, while he is waiting for an appeal I hope he is contemplating what "life" could mean for him. If that is the case I hope some sense sinks into his skull and that his sentence is reduced on appeal. If all he's doing right now is getting angry and defiant then I hope he's good at making liscense plates.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-07-03 04:39pm

Stravo wrote:Excuse me, but is everyone missing the point here? What if you were protesting GWB or the war and you spit on a Police officer or better yet a Postal employee who stopped to jeer you. You get LIFE?! Is that even remotely fair??

Not it's not, except in the case where you knew that you had a cominicable disease before you did the spitting.

Personally, I'd be more inclined to let the Police officer or Postal employee beat the ever living dog shit out of this guy for spitting on them. They are just doing their job and they do not have anything to do with policy. If a protester wants to go try spitting in GWBs face as a protest then go for it, but don't fuck with the civil servants.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-07-03 04:42pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:I'm finding it hard to locate sympathy. Anyway, is life actually life in that state or 20 years?

Since it's Oklahoma when they say life they probably mean life or damn close to it. Still, 20-25 years before you are eligible for parole is a pretty hefty sentence too.

Yogi · Post by **Yogi** » 2003-07-03 05:18pm

It could be that they simply used the spitting as an excuse for locking him away for life. Similar to Al Capone and Tax Evasion.

David · Post by **David** » 2003-07-03 06:10pm

He shouldn't have gotten the sentence for spitting on the officier since he didn't have a communicable disease, but as others have said I have problems feeling any sympathy for the asshole.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-07-03 06:13pm

As others already mentioned on this thread "Bubba will have a big sympathy for the fucker.