After 117 long years, the State of New York has repealed an esoteric law that made it illegal for people to cheat on their spouses. New York governor Kathy Hochul repealed the statute dating back to 1907 earlier this month, putting an end to puritanical rule in the Empire State.
The 117-year-old law had previously made it a misdemeanor to cheat on one’s spouse and made the crime punishable for up to three months. However, it was commonly noted that it was very difficult to enforce the law and actually jail people for skipping out on the person they’d pledged to be faithful to forever.
During a ceremony to repeal the suffocating legislation, New York governor Kathy Hochul spoke about why she was taking time out of her busy schedule to repeal a 117-year-old law that criminalized knocking boots out of wedlock. Governor Hochul said:
“While I’ve been fortunate to share a loving married life with my husband for 40 years — making it somewhat ironic for me to sign a bill decriminalizing adultery — I know that people often have complex relationships. These matters should clearly be handled by these individuals and not our criminal justice system. Let’s take this silly, outdated statute off the books, once and for all.”
I don’t have enough fingers on my hands to count the number of times I was propositioned by couples in bars in NYC. That isn’t my style and I’d politely decline each time, always to a mixed reaction of some sort and sometimes anger at a perceived slight for declining what they perceived to be the offer of a lifetime, but in each of those interactions it never occurred to me that they could be breaking the law if they were married… Which, apparently, they were.
According to the Associated Press, bans on adultery can be found in multiple states across the nation. It is illegal in Florida, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. But no longer in New York where the 117-year-old law that could jail people for 3 months for cheating has been repealed.
Another aspect of the New York law is how restrictive it was. It previously read “engages in sexual intercourse with another person at a time when he has a living spouse, or the other person has a living spouse” which would be easily applied to couples who were separated or in the process of getting divorced.
So to anyone up in New York wondering if they are breaking the law by sleeping outside of your marriage, sleep tight knowing that Johnny Law is no longer watching and judging. Santa Clause might be watching and put you on the naughty list but that’s par for the course with the behavior.
The post After 117 Puritanical Years The State Of New York Finally Made It Legal To Cheat On Your Spouse appeared first on BroBible.
After 117 Puritanical Years The State Of New York Finally Made It Legal To Cheat On Your Spouse
Pinoy Human Rights
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