Judge delays opinion on isolating Ala. HIV inmates

Last month, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson finished hearing arguments made during the month-long trial challenging Alabama's decades-old policy of mostly separating HIV-positive inmates from other prisoners.

Thompson had told attorneys that he hoped to have an opinion ready before Thanksgiving. The judge issued a brief statement in the court file Wednesday saying more time is needed. He said he would not issue a decision until sometime before Christmas.

Currently, Alabama and South Carolina are the only states that segregate HIV-positive prisoners. The lawsuit accused the state of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.