Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/03/25/new-york-poised-to-legalize-adultery.html
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I know it’s not really cool to use obscure laws for targeted prosecutions, but it’s tempting to enforce it just one more time against a certain thrice-married serial philanderer before taking it off the books forever…
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Huh.
I never knew that; just figured that church and community frowned upon it.
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The Project 2025 types won’t be happy with that.
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“Another one? Oh that’s just great!” -Hester Prynne from her grave probably
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I just looked it up and apparently Wisconsin is one of only three states where it’s a felony! (WTF?) Even visiting my partner in Illinois, of all places, it’s still a misdemeanor. Oh wait, apparently we get around this by the fact that none of us are married. Never mind, carry on!
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BY THE POWER OF POLYCULE!
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So in Massachusetts it would have been illegal for Hendrix to do his version of the Star Spangled Banner? That’s f****d up.
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Just so everyone is aware, Lawrence v. Texas, famous for decriminalizing homosexuality in the US, actually struck down all laws which criminalized private, consensual, non-procreative sex (a.k.a. sodomy). So this is fine that New York is trying to take this off the books, but the law was already unenforceable. At least until SCOTUS tries to reverse Lawrence.
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They’ll get it re-instated (only for women) once they eliminate no-fault divorce.
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Punishable by stoning, of course.
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This may be partly to blame for the myth that Stravinsky was arrested for his re-harmonizing of the national anthem.
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However, 17 states in the United States criminalize adultery, including three where it is charged as a felony.
ISTR that it is also illegal under UCMJ, the special laws that apply to military service members.
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And yet, it’s always Bowb Your Buddy Week.
That law is only weird in that it should be a felony offense, not a misdemeanor.
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When is that scheduled, before or after reversing Loving v. Virginia?
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The way they’ve been doing things lately, that might be one decision that does both
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I assume this sort of house cleaning of old state laws is being done exactly in anticipation of future SCOTUS erosions of federal protections?
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Probably coming soon… 
That’s a tough one. The conservative wing will need to decide who they want to oppress more first - women or POC?
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Soon they won’t actually need even a made-up case. Just someone getting offended at something they read in a novel will be enough for the court to upset 50 and 60 year precedents.
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