Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald (MH) - Friday July 26, 1991
Scott Higham; Herald Staff Writer
Danielle Marie Taylor, arrested after police say they spotted her turning a trick in the back of a Ford van, was so stunned she could barely speak.
"One -- hundred -- thousand -- dollars," Taylor, 23, repeated slowly in disbelief.
The unusual case forced Broward County Judge Kathleen Kearney to confront one of the most troubling medical issues facing health experts today: how to prevent the spread of the incurable disease.
Her ruling came during a Magistrate's Court hearing, where Kearney was told Taylor has the AIDS virus. The judge also learned Taylor is nine months pregnant and had been picked up by Fort Lauderdale police 39 times since 1987, mostly on prostitution charges.
Kearney told Taylor to stand before the courtroom lectern.
"Set bond in the amount of $100,000," the judge said. "Thank you, ma'am."
Prosecutors hadn't asked Kearney to go beyond the normal $300 bond for prostitution cases. The judge said she decided on the amount to protect Taylor and her baby, and to shield the public from the disease.
"I was concerned about her own health and the health of her unborn baby," Kearney said later. "I was concerned about the safety of our community."
Taylor tested positive for the disease nearly 2 1/2 months ago after she was arrested on prostitution charges, said Carl Borino, commander of the Fort Lauderdale Jail. The results didn't stop her from working her beat, police say.
Since learning she is HIV-positive, Taylor has been arrested at least six times on prostitution and public indecency charges, police records show.
"She's a loaded gun," Fort Lauderdale police spokesman Ott Cefkin said.
"It's attempted murder," City Prosecutor Scott Walker said.
Even the Broward Public Defender's Office wouldn't argue with the $100,000 bond.
"As a public defender, I usually try to get people out of jail," said Chief Assistant Public Defender Douglas Brawley. "But I have a problem sending her back out on the streets."
Brawley said his office is searching for a social service program to take care of Taylor and plans to ask the judge today to arrange an alternative to the city jail.
If that fails, he said, he may advise Taylor to plead out so she can get help from a prison health program.
"We just want to do the right thing," Brawley said.
The bizarre case began just after midnight Tuesday, when police officers saw Taylor sitting on a bus bench near her home in the 1200 block of North Andrews Avenue. Police said she was approaching cars at a traffic light and got into a silver Ford van.
Police officers Karl Maracotta and Kim Mortemore trailed the couple.
When the van stopped in an apartment house parking lot, the officers peeked inside. They said they saw the couple having sex.
Taylor was charged with public indecency and loitering for purposes of prostitution. The man was charged with public indecency and picking up a hitchhiker, a city ordinance violation. By Thursday, the man still hadn't been notified about Taylor's medical condition.
"I don't want to be the one to tell him," said Borino, the jail commander. County health officials are expected to notify him shortly, police said.
Taylor and her customer face up to 90 days on each count. Prosecutor Walker said he plans to investigate the case and is considering more charges against the woman to stop her from plying her trade.
"For the safety of the public, I have to do something," Walker said.
For prosecutors, judges and lawmakers, stopping AIDS-infected hookers from walking the streets hasn't been easy.
SUGGESTED BONDS
The bond set for Danielle Marie Taylor far exceeded guidelines suggested by Broward's chief judge. Here are some crimes and the recommended bond amounts for each:
* Prostitution -- $300.
* Possession of cocaine -- $1,000.
* Aggravated battery -- $5,000.
* Burglary -- $5,000.
* Cocaine trafficking -- $250,000.
* Murder, kidnapping and armed robbery -- no bond.
CAPTION: PHOTO Danielle Marie Taylor (b)
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