Positively Sharing

Sanjay Johnson HIV Criminalization Case Closes With 5-Year Probation Sentence

Reading Time: < 1 minute
Sanjay Johnson
Sanjay Johnson. (Credit: Sanjay Johnson)

Sanjay Johnson, who was charged with nondisclosure of his HIV status to a former sexual partner, was given a surprise sentence of five years probation and a $750 fine finalized in Little Rock, Arkansas on Feb. 19. Johnson was initially facing a felony conviction with the possibility of 10 to 12 years in prison and a requirement that he register as a sex offender upon his release. We last reported on Johnson’s story in September 2018.

“Honestly, I’m grateful, but I still have a burden with probation and its restrictions and financial obligations,” said Johnson about the sentence.

Johnson’s defense lawyer, Cheryl K. Maples, said that the case largely rested on the fact that Johnson was documented as having an undetectable viral load and could not have transmitted the virus to the accuser. The prosecutor finally was convinced in the second hearing.   Read More

Exit mobile version