It will soon be legal to cheat on your partner in New York State, one of 16 US states where adultery can still lead to prison time, after a lawmaker called on the public service to mind its own business .
“The State is not intended to regulate consensual sexual behavior between adults. It simply makes no sense and we have come a long way since intimate relationships between consenting adults were considered immoral,” insisted Democratic MP Charles Lavine, presenting the bill to decriminalize adultery, according to “The Telegraph” on Sunday.
Since 1907, marital infidelity has been punishable by a maximum penalty of 90 days in prison with a fine of US$500 in New York State, while the act would be considered a misdemeanor in 16 American states, including Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Although prosecutions for adultery would be extremely rare today, this sword of Damocles would still have led to the opening of a dozen cases before the courts since 1972, including five which would even have ended in convictions, according to “The Telegraph.
The most recent case in New York is believed to date from 2010, although the charges were dropped following a plea agreement between the parties.
“It’s a joke. This law was the expression of moral indignation on the part of someone,” the democrat would have continued.
A first attempt to repeal the law reportedly took place in 1964, but this time the bill passed the New York Assembly and was now awaiting Senate approval.
But even the Catholic Church wouldn’t mind.
“Adultery is a sin. I don’t know if it’s a crime,” commented Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, according to “The Telegraph.”
