Subject: Jury Clears Man Who Sold His AIDS-Infected Blood
Date: Published: 3/3/88 34 lines
Source:  WALL STREET JOURNAL. Copyright Dow Jones & Co. Inc. 

   Jury Clears Man Who Sold
   His AIDS-Infected Blood

   LOS ANGELES -- A California state court jury acquitted a
man who sold his AIDS-tainted blood to a commercial blood
bank even though he knew he was infected.
   Joseph Markowski, a 29-year-old transient described by
authorities as a gay prostitute, had been charged with two
counts of attempting to poison a medical product.  He was
arrested last June 23 after screaming, "Kill me! Kill me! I
have AIDS!" in a Hollywood bank while attempting to grab a
security guard's gun.  When police arrested Mr. Markowski they
found a receipt for a plasma center.
   Mr. Markowski had sold blood to Plasma Production
Associates, a closely held Los Angeles firm, on June 22 and
was attempting to do so again on June 25 after he had been
released from custody, the district attorney said.  He was
then arrested again.
   Guy O'Brien, Mr. Markowski's attorney, argued that Mr. 
Markowski had no intention of harming anyone and that he sold
his blood because he was "broke, homeless and destitute."
Deputy District Attorney Antonio Barreto Jr.  said Mr. 
Markowski knew his blood could infect others but that "he
didn't give a damn."

[This article is made available here by Dow Jones Co. for the 
personal and non-commercial use of callers to this bbs, in the 
hope that it will be of some help to those who are suffering 
from the disease and others who are seeking to help them.]