Man gets life sentence after spitting

An Oklahoma man arrested on suspicion of beating his wife faced a year in prison and a $5118 fine, but when he spat in an arresting officer's face he got a life sentence instead.

John Carl Marquez, 36, was convicted of "placing bodily fluid upon a government employee", a felony that can carry a life sentence due to the possibility of transmitting a potentially deadly disease.

State judge April Sellers White sentenced Marquez this week even though he and the officer tested negative for any communicable disease. Marquez also was convicted of assaulting a police officer, and a jury recommended the maximum sentence because he had previous convictions. His lawyers plan to appeal.