It's like rape." The maximum.
sentence Hanlon could have received was four years in prison and a $2000 fine. .
Which some might say is outrageous, while others argue that it should be more for.
committing what is essentially first degree murder. In addition, under the current New.
York State law, which dates back well before June, 1987, the knowing transmission of.
a venereal disease is a felony. On June 1, 1987, Cuomo revealed that state lawmakers.
would consider making the transmission of AIDS a crime. He was quoted at the time.
as saying:If you know you have AIDS and you pass it on to someone who is not.
aware, that should be regarded as a very serious offense. I'm not talking about sins and.
morality; I'm talking about a sin against the community, a crime. We should look into.
that.? However, AIDS is not classified, and never has been, as a venereal disease. At.
the same time when Cuomo made that statement, Ronald Reagan becameconcerned?.
with the AIDS epidemic. He called forroutine? AIDS testing of prisoners, marriage.
license applicants, immigrants, and possibly some hospital patients, but his purpose.
was only to identify carriers of the disease; no comment concerning the criminalization.
of the transmission of AIDS was made.? .
There are convincing arguments for why the transmission of AIDS should be a.
criminal offense. One of these might be that it would help to stop the ultimate spread.
of the virus among the population in the world. If people understand that they could.
go to jail for giving the virus, then it is possible that people might try to be more.
careful, and engage in safer sex, and the use of clean needles and so on. Ultimately.
criminalization of spreading HIV/AIDS would act as a deterrent for those who might.
want to spread the disease. The only problem with that argument, is that we would like.
to believe that people who do transmit the disease, do it only because they don't know.
they have it.