Man spits on cop, gets life in jail

[Zero Signal]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/934094.asp

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 2 — 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.

That just seems ludicrous to me.

[El Blanco]

You're right, don't they have an electric chair in Oklahoma?

[AChimp]

In Canada they would have charged the cop with causing mind pain to the poor man and forcing his mouth to involuntarily spit in a random direction, which just happened to be in the direction of the cop's face.

Besides, the guy is a wife-beater, and he'll probably be out of prison on good behaviour in a few years.

[punkgrrrlie10]

Interesting case. sounds like a clear violation of the 8th amendment to me. Usually they allow those kinds of sentences if the prisoner carries a disease and intends to pass it by spitting.

[Immortal Goat]

Even though this guy did NOT give the guy a serious disease, he needed to be punished to the full extent for doing this. I mean, really and truly, he should get life for wife-beating because it shows a clear lack of respect for other human beings, and he is just scum. I certainly won't lose any sleep over this guy's imprisonment.

[CaptainBubba]

You've also never been to jail.

[kahljorn]

lol I don't see how it deserves life if he didn't get one. I mean, if you shoot someone and they don't die, it's only attempted murder. It should be like, Attempted Bio-attack. I guess it's a ATTEMPTED FLU ATTACK or something.

[Spasmolytic]

can you get a life sentence for spitting on anybody? i certainly hope so, who gives a shit if they're a government employee? it should be the same for everyone.

[Skulhedface]

So what if a cop beats the hell out of someone a la Rodney King, who turns out to be completely innocent, but during the beating of an innocent man a TINY LITTLE SPLATTER of blood manages to land on that cop's shoe.

Would he still go to jail for life for that?

Bullshit.

[FartinMowler]

Achimp must be from a small town in Canada :/

[FS]

I can't see how anyone wouldn't find this absolutely ridiculous.

[Zero Signal]

Originally Posted by Skulhedface

So what if a cop beats the hell out of someone a la Rodney King, who turns out to be completely innocent, but during the beating of an innocent man a TINY LITTLE SPLATTER of blood manages to land on that cop's shoe.

Would he still go to jail for life for that?

Bullshit.

lol. Rodney King was not innocent at the time and resisted arrest.

And the 3 other times he has been arrested since then, whether it was for beating his wife, for indecent exposure while under the influence of PCP, or reckless driving while under the influence of PCP? Water under the bridge? Yeah, ok, right.

[Skulhedface]

I didn't mean to infer King was innocent.

I just meant the caliber of beating.

It's hard to pick a specific incident as publicized concerning police brutaility, ya know.

But I was trying to make some sort of point *shrugs*

[The_Rorschach]

"You've also never been to jail."

I was locked up in Tiajuana for a few days, if you count that as prison time, I have. I only make this qualifying remark as I don't have any sympathies for this asshole either. He has no respect for anyone, from his own lover to the authorties which exist for his own well being. He deserves what he's getting.

And Rodney was not only guilty of speeding, but doing so while under the influence of alchohol and an illegal substance. To make matters worse, he didn't merely resist arrest, but he violently assaulted the first two officers to intercept him, and refused to cooperate at any point after. I have no sympathy for him either. If you really want to criticize thse cops in question, I suggest you wrestle with someone on PCP first, and see how easy it is to make them cease their struggles.

[The_voice_of_reason]

Why does wife-beating only carry a one year sentence? I think all wife-beaters should be locked in a room together, not given any food for a week and then have one steak thown in amongst them. Also they should all have knives.

[punkgrrrlie10]

As far as "splatter", that would be accidental. This is an intent crime, meaning they have to intend to have "splattered" which I think would not be the case if someone were having the crap beat out of them.

[mburbank]

I think you guys are all entirely missing the point. This isn't about spit guy, who's conviction will almost certainly be overturned. It's about cruel nd unusual punishment, and punishment fitting the crime.

I don't care what you think of this particular spitter. You casually dismiss someone gettinga life sentence for spitting on a cop and you are not just setting foot on the slippery slope, you are tumbling ass over tit down it.

That this is generally being treated the same way as the funny animal stories the put in the bottom left corner of the front page of the metro makes me sick.

[VinceZeb]

*breaks out into song*

"Don't do the crime, if you cant do the time!"

[The_Rorschach]

"It's about cruel nd unusual punishment, and punishment fitting the crime."

Criminal behaviour is itself predatory (cruel) and abnormal (unusual), there is no punishment which is uncalled for, providing the man in question is guilty.

[punkgrrrlie10]

I wouldn't describe criminal behavior as unusual as the legal definition defined by case law is "rarely done". And the 8th amendment is a proportionality test dealing w/the punishment fighting the crime and the culpability of the offender thus the importance of looking to the intent of the perpetrator. It's why we have degrees of murder.

[kahljorn]

Next thing you know getting a drop of blood in a public area will be a terrorist act, and coughing will cause immediate quaranteen and execution.

[The_Rorschach]

"I wouldn't describe criminal behavior as unusual as the legal definition defined by case law is "rarely done". And the 8th amendment is a proportionality test dealing w/the punishment fighting the crime and the culpability of the offender thus the importance of looking to the intent of the perpetrator. It's why we have degrees of murder."

A pity, I rather liked you for awhile.

Regardless of standard definitions, it is a societal abheration to commit a crime against one's fellow man. We come from the same culture were citizens lobby to enforce equality and protect an abstract right over something as trivial as personal property. Why then is it we show sudden temerity in limiting the active influence of those whom have shown themselves incapable of respecting the basic right to personal security which even Hobbes admitted was inherent to civilized life?

Degrees of murder, to protect innocent men from suffering unduly for a crime they did not intentionally commit. . .That is the spirit behind those rulings, but you seem to have forgotten that in favour of the law's letter. This man is guilty of his current accusations, additionally, he is a convicted criminal for past transgressions whom the system failed to rehabilitize. He is now a liability to the basic rights of everyone around him, and as such, must be removed from society for the good of all. He assaulted his own wife. Think on that for a moment. The one person who was closest to his heart, the single soul whom shared his most intimiate confidences, and he abused her in the most base and foul manner. Then, in addition, he assaulted the very person to intercede on her behalf. He has shown what he is capable of, and if the system is just, he will recieve what is his due.

I only wish he could hang.

[FS]

I hope you still feel that way when you get pulled over for speeding and suddenly find yourself in jail for twenty years.

[pjalne]

Originally Posted by VinceZeb

*breaks out into song*

"Don't do the crime, if you cant do the time!"

Like getting underwater handjobs from prostitutes?

I'm with Max on this one. He doesn't deserve life for spitting on a cop, and he deserves more than a year for beating his wife. And while I'm sure this guy is a bastard, this is just too much.

[VinceZeb]

AWWWWWW, pj thinks he's funny!

*gives pjalne a treat*