Of New York's many outdated laws, the adultery law could go this year. A bill repealingthe 1907 New York adultery law passed the Assembly and is now in the Senate.
Adultery is a misdemeanor crime carrying a penalty of up to 90 days in jail. The repeal's current sponsor is Long Island Assemblymember Charles Lavine, D-Glen Cove. The repeal bill has wide support, but Lavine noted there's been pushback and hate mail about its passage too. He says the adultery law has always been controversial.
"When it was enacted in 1907, there were many letters to the editors of the then-responsible press complaining about the legislature taking it upon itself to regulate human nature and morality," he explained.
The 1965 state law commission sought to repeal the law, but never did. This was because some politicians argued repeal then would seem as if the state were 'endorsing' infidelity.
