Canadian Judge Has HIV Flipout

Justice Jon-Jo Douglas of Barrie, Ontario pooped a solid-gold brick in his courtroom last November when a witness, accusing another man of having sexually assaulted him in the local jail, revealed in his testimony that he has both HIV and Hepatitus C.

The Hon. Jon-Jo, quickly deciding that a jailed HIV+ rape victim is not enough of a pariah, demanded that the trial move to a larger courtroom so that he wouldn't catch the AIDS from, apparently, the breath of the witness. The alleged victim, whose name is protected, was required to wear a surgical mask, and papers that he had touched were slipped into plastic bags by staffers wearing gloves.

Prosecutors strongly disputed the judge's decisions, because the mask might make it more difficult for the court reporter to transcribe the witness's statements and also because this is FRICKIN IDIOTIC. The judge explained, "The HIV virus will live in a dried state for year after year after year and only needs moisture to reactivate itself." Which... maybe he was thinking of some other disease? The Andromeda Strain, perhaps? I dunno, I'm just trying to be charitable here.

Anyways, read the whole story in the Toronto Star. It made me feel a little better about the USA.

[via: News of the Weird]