Fact Sheet: Missouri v. Johnson, The Center for HIV Law and Policy (2017)

On September 21, 2017, Michael Johnson bypassed a new trial and entered a no-contest plea in the St. Charles County Circuit Court in Missouri. In exchange, he has accepted a sentence of 10 years in state prison. Because Missouri’s HIV criminal law hinges liability on whether or not the defendant can prove he disclosed his HIV status prior to sex—a virtual impossibility in most instances—Johnson decided to accept a plea deal that credits him with time served since his arrest nearly four years ago. Under Missouri’s law, one of the harshest in the country, Johnson could have faced nearly 100 years in prison if found guilty. He previously had been sentenced to 30 years in prison before the appeals court threw out the original conviction. For more information, see the links below for the case fact sheet and CHLP's joint news release.