It is no longer a crime to be unfaithful! New York announced that cheating on your spouse will no longer cause legal problems

• New York Declares Infidelity Is No Longer a Crime
• The State Repeals a 1907 Law
• What Did Being Unfaithful Entail?

New York State has taken a historic step by repealing a century-old law that criminalized adultery, a statute many considered outdated and difficult to enforce.

Governor Kathy Hochul formalized the measure on Friday, signing the bill that ends the law first enacted in 1907.

The law defined adultery as an act by a married person who engaged in sexual relations with someone other than their spouse.

Under the statute, adultery was classified as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to three months in jail.

NEW YORK REPEALS THE CRIME OF INFIDELITY

However, the law was rarely enforced and its effectiveness questioned, with only a dozen charges and five convictions recorded since the 1970s.

“People’s lives are complex, and such matters should be resolved by those involved, not the criminal justice system,” Hochul stated in a press release.

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The governor, who recently celebrated 40 years of marriage with her husband, called the adultery law “absurd and outdated,” emphasizing the importance of modernizing state laws.

State Assemblyman Charles Lavine, who sponsored the bill, supported the repeal, arguing that the law no longer served the fundamental purposes of criminal legislation.

When Was This Adultery Law Last Used?

“Laws are designed to protect our community and prevent antisocial behavior. This law served neither of those purposes,” Lavine said.

The last known use of the law occurred in 2010, when a woman was charged with adultery after being caught engaging in sexual activity in a park.

However, the charge was dropped as part of a plea deal.

The decision to repeal the law aligns with a national trend, as several states have reviewed or eliminated similar statutes.

How Did the Law Originate?

Originally, these laws were intended to complicate divorce proceedings at a time when infidelity was the only legally accepted cause for separation.

The problematic nature of the adultery law became evident almost immediately after its implementation.

In 1907, just weeks after it was enacted, a married man and a 25-year-old woman were arrested under the statute, according to reports from the time.

In the 1960s, New York came close to repealing the law after a state commission report deemed it virtually unenforceable. However, legislators chose to keep it in place.

*WITH INFORMATION FROM AP.

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