San Francisco Chronicle - Friday, October 3, 2003
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer

Ronald Hill, 46, was arrested last month at his home in Grass Valley after the San Francisco grand jury indicted him for allegedly engaging in a pattern of soliciting sex with men and then lying to them about his own infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. No trial date has been set, but he could face up to eight years in prison if convicted.

At least two men infected with HIV testified before the grand jury about having relationships with Hill and said he had repeatedly assured them he didn't have the virus.

Hill's attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, requested his client be freed so he could continue his medical treatment at home. Prosecutors opposed the request, saying Hill posed a clear threat to others based on his earlier alleged conduct.

But Judge Kay Tsenin agreed to free Hill on a supervised release program on the condition he not use sex personal sites on the Internet.

"She made a compassion-based decision toward Ron Hill," said prosecutor Greg Barge. "I can see she has compassion for him, but my concern is public safety.

"Our concern remains that we have someone who apparently lived two lives, a public life, which seemed very responsible, and a private life, which wasn't.

We're concerned because his private life is much more the life of a con man -- we don't believe Ron Hill is credible. When he says something, we have no confidence it's actually true."

Fitzgerald argued Hill was not a flight risk and that his jailing, given his medical condition, amounted to unfair punishment prior to a conviction.

"If the allegations are not true, my client poses absolutely no public health risk whatsoever," Fitzpatrick said, adding his client believed he was being smeared by someone who has a vendetta against him.

"The credibility of the complaining witnesses does not stand up to much scrutiny," he said, saying the grand jury testimony of the witnesses differed from accounts they gave to prosecutors and in e-mails.

Barge countered that the witnesses did not contradict themselves in any significant way.

One of the men who says he was infected by Hill, 38-year-old Thomas Lister, won a $5 million judgment against Hill in a civil lawsuit last year.

Hill, a onetime registered nurse, former florist and funeral home director, was appointed to the city Health Commission by Mayor Willie Brown in 1997. He resigned in October 2000 after he was arrested for allegedly trying to pass a bad check at a Sonoma County furniture store.

E-mail Jaxon Van Derbeken at jvanderbeken@sfchronicle.com.

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