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“Tiger Mandingo” Pleads No Contest To Knowingly Transmitting HIV

Michael Johnson, better known by his social media name Tiger Mandingo, took a plea deal that could set him free within 18 months. He had been sentenced to 30 years for “recklessly” infecting a sexual partner, but an appeals court ordered a new trial because prosecutors withheld evidence from Johnson’s attorneys.

Steven Thrasher 6 years ago

HIV Conviction Of "Tiger Mandingo" Has Been Thrown Out

Michael Johnson was sentenced to 30 years for "recklessly" infecting a sexual partner with HIV. Now, an appeals court has ordered a new trial because prosecutors deliberately withheld evidence from Johnson's attorneys "to gain a strategic advantage." Update: This post has been expanded to include more information from the court's ruling as well as context about Johnson's case and the nation's HIV laws.

Steven Thrasher 7 years ago

A Black Body On Trial: The Conviction Of HIV-Positive "Tiger Mandingo"

Officially, former college wrestler Michael Johnson was on trial for not telling his sexual partners that he had HIV. But inside the courtroom, the man known as Tiger Mandingo was also up against America’s attitudes on race and sexuality.

Steven Thrasher 8 years ago

“Tiger Mandingo,” Accused In HIV Case, Says He’s Being Held In Solitary

Former college wrestler Michael Johnson says he has been locked up alone for up to 23 hours a day for the last three months. He has become the face of laws that criminalize HIV-positive people for having sex without telling their partners they are infected, even if they practice safe sex. His trial began today.

Steven Thrasher 8 years ago

A Personal And Political History Of The Afro

Dante de Blasio's bountiful fro has been a rare flash point in an otherwise drama-free New York City mayoral campaign, bringing the hairstyle's cultural trajectory from revolutionary to mundane and now back again.

Steven Thrasher 10 years ago