Adultery in New York will no longer be illegal: before this, you could end up in prison for love affairs

New Yorkers who cheat on their spouses may soon no longer face criminal charges for doing so. State lawmakers are moving to repeal a 117-year-old law, reports Silive.

Members of the State Senate and State Assembly voted overwhelmingly to repeal an old but rarely enforced provision of criminal law. Under this provision, adultery is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to three months in jail and a $500 fine. In New York, you can get a fine for a snow-covered car or sidewalk: how to properly clear them, read our article.

In March, just 10 of the Assembly's 150 members were against a new bill that would repeal the old rule. Only 4 members of the Senate out of 63 voted against it on April 4. All Staten Island legislators supported repealing the law.

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Assemblyman Charles Lavigne (D-Long Island), the bill's sponsor in the Assembly, applauded the Senate's passage of the legislation sponsored by State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan).

“I am extremely pleased that the Senate overwhelmingly agrees that this archaic law must be gone,” he said. – Although there are many laws whose purpose is to directly protect society, some laws embody nothing more than someone's idea of ​​​​morality. The target law falls into the latter category. If the law is not respected, then there is no reason to support it.”

A new bill that would remove adultery from the criminal code now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature. It will take effect immediately when it becomes law.

History of the law

Believe it or not, adultery has been a crime in New York City for over 100 years, since 1907.

In 1907, New York law made adultery a criminal offense, reports Lohud.

Residents of the Big Apple can be found guilty of adultery if they had sex while they or their partner had a living spouse. This law was rarely enforced given the difficulty in obtaining convictions.

Sixteen states make adultery a crime, including New York.

“This outdated law criminalizes sexual behavior between consenting adults,” Lavigne said.

Outdated bans that should also be abolished

Most New Yorkers consider themselves law-abiding citizens, but there is a chance that even they unknowingly break some New York laws, reports ABC.

There are many laws, most of which are archaic in nature. In case of non-compliance, the violator may be fined.

Perhaps one of the most ignored laws in the city is the ban on car horns. The horn has been banned throughout the city since 1936. Its use has been illegal since 1970. But there is one exception: the sound signal can be used if someone's life is in danger.

Other notable illegal activities in New York include:

• flirting;
• promising views;
• walking around with an ice cream cone in your pocket on Sundays;
• wearing slippers in establishments after 22:00;
• using an umbrella on the sidewalk when it is not raining;
• using dolls to promote, advertise or sell products.