New York Moves to Decriminalize Adultery

A century-old law making adultery a criminal offense is on the brink of repeal, reflecting changing societal values on privacy and morality.

A 1907 New York law criminalizing adultery, punishable by up to three months in jail, may soon be repealed, with the bill having passed the Assembly and expected to pass the Senate.
The law, rarely enforced, has resulted in about a dozen charges since 1972, with the most recent enforcement in 2010.
Assemblyman Charles Lavine, leading the repeal effort, criticizes the law as outdated and an expression of moral outrage from a bygone era.
Critics argue adultery laws are punitive towards women and question their constitutionality in light of modern interpretations of privacy and liberty.
Several states, including Colorado and New Hampshire, are revisiting their adultery laws, while infidelity remains a felony in Michigan, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.