American State Plans to Repeal Adultery Law

Adultery may soon be legal in New York State, thanks to a proposal that would abolish a 1907 law punishing those who cheat on their spouses with up to three months in prison. ABC News noted that "the ban on adultery still exists in many states across the United States, although prosecutions and convictions are rare," explaining that the law was traditionally enacted to reduce the number of divorces at a time when infidelity was the only grounds for divorce. Adultery has been classified as a misdemeanor in New York since 1907, defined by state law as when "a person has sexual relations with another person while having a living spouse, or the other person has a living spouse." The proposal to repeal the ban has already passed in the General Assembly and is expected to be approved soon in the Senate before moving to the governor's office for signature.