Right now if you’re caught cheating on your husband or wife in New York State, you could face not only an angry and spurned spouse, but 90 days in jail..
That’s because committing adultery is still a crime in the Empire State. On the books since 1907, the act of adultery could lead to a misdemeanor that could land you three months behind bars along with a $500 fine.
Now lawmakers are working to scrap the more than century old adultery law in New York.
Long Island based Democratic State Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine introduced a bill to “repeal and decriminalize” the act of adultery in New York.
“This outdated statute criminalizes sexual behavior between consenting adults. It is long past time for us to remove it from the penal code. If a law is not enforced, there is no reason it should be maintained,” said Lavine.
According to Lavine’s office, only a handful of philanderous spouses, 13 in all since 1972, have been charged criminally for adultery. His proposed bill passed the Assembly by a 137-10 vote. It has since been sent to the Senate for approval. Once that happens, Governor Kathy Hochul would have to sign the bill for it to become law.