Spitting at prosecutors would be a felony under Wisconsin bill
A bill that makes it a felony to throw or expel bodily fluids at prosecutors moves to the floor of the Wisconsin State Assembly on Tuesday.
Currently such conduct directed at prosecutors can only be charged as disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, the Associated Press reports. Current Wisconsin law does make it a felony, however, to direct bodily fluids at police, firefighters, prison guards and first responders such as emergency medical technicians.
Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg testified in favor of the bill, according to the AP story and prior coverage by the Capital Times. Klomberg was himself hit by a spit wad last year during closing arguments, aimed by an inmate on trial for spitting on prison guards.
“The real concern is not just the gross nature of this, but communicable disease,” Klomberg told AP. “When I’m handling these cases, I always kind of have to keep one eye on the defendant, and that’s taking my focus away from the case at hand.”
