Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill on Friday removing a law that made cheating on your spouse a crime. The law, from 1907, could have put people in jail for three months.
“These matters should clearly be handled by these individuals and not our criminal justice system,” Governor Hochul said. “Let’s take this silly, outdated statute off the books, once and for all.”
The law was rarely used. Assemblymember Charles Lavine, who sponsored the bill to repeal the law, said about 12 people were charged under it since the 1970s, with only five convictions.
“Laws are meant to protect our community and to serve as a deterrent to anti-social behavior. New York’s adultery law advanced neither purpose,” Lavine said.
Many states had similar laws to make divorce difficult. These laws are rarely used now.
New York almost removed the law in the 1960s, but some politicians argued against it. The last known use of the law was in 2010, but the charge was dropped.
