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If someone commits adultery on their souse, and their spouse commits suicide over it, what should the punishment be for the aduleror or adulteress?

If it's proven in a court of law that someone committed adultery, what should the punishment be? It boggles my mind how ppl think adultery should fall under the list of things the government grants as freedom. It's illegal to refuse to bake a cake for gays, but legal to betray the one you love most? It's illegal to litter on the streets but not commit adultery on your one true love? It's illegal for police stations to torture serial killers to get information but legal to cheat on the one you love the most? In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon even one of their comrades is worse than scum; your spouse is your comrade number one.

Now, for all the nitpickers who will not comment on the heart of the question, I know the laws I mentioned are not universal, and some places don't make those things illegal. I also know adultery is technically illegal in some places, however, those laws are not enforced.
BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F
Oh for Christ sake. You want there to be legal punishment for adultery? Why don't you move to Saudi Arabia?

If a person commits suicide because their spouse cheated on them, that's on them. They made the decision to commit suicide. The government should not have the ability to tell you that you can't violate a completely made up and meaningless set of rules around romantic relationships like marriage.
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BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F
@AgapeLove Sleep is on my mind.
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GwydionFrost · 56-60, M
The United States is one of few industrialized countries to have laws criminalizing adultery. In the United States, laws vary from state to state. Up until the mid 20th century most U.S. states (especially Southern and Northeastern states) had laws against fornication, adultery or cohabitation. These laws have gradually been abolished or struck down by courts as unconstitutional. Pennsylvania abolished its fornication and adultery laws in 1973.

States which repealed their adultery laws in recent years include West Virginia in 2010, Colorado in 2013, New Hampshire in 2014, Massachusetts in 2018, and Utah in 2019.

As of 2019, adultery remains a criminal offense in 19 states, but prosecutions are rare. Although adultery laws are mostly found in the conservative states (especially Southern states), there are some notable exceptions such as New York. Idaho, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Wisconsin consider adultery a felony, while in the other states it is a misdemeanor. It is a Class B misdemeanor in New York and a Class I felony in Wisconsin. Penalties vary from a $10 fine (Maryland) to four years in prison (Michigan). In South Carolina, the fine for adultery is up to $500 and/or imprisonment for no more than one year (South Carolina code 16-15-60), and South Carolina divorce laws deny alimony to the adulterous spouse.

In the last conviction for adultery in Massachusetts in 1983, it was held that the statute was constitutional and that "no fundamental personal privacy right implicit in the concept of ordered liberty guaranteed by the United States Constitution bars the criminal prosecution of such persons [adulterers]." Massachusetts repealed its adultery law in 2018.

In Florida adultery ("Living in open adultery", Art 798.01) is illegal; while cohabitation of unmarried couples was decriminalized in 2016.

South Carolina's adultery law came into spotlight in 2009, when then governor Mark Sanford admitted to his extramarital affair. He was not prosecuted for it; it is not clear whether South Carolina could prosecute a crime that occurred in another jurisdiction (Argentina in this case); furthermore, under South Carolina law adultery involves either "the living together and carnal intercourse with each other" or, if those involved do not live together "habitual carnal intercourse with each other" which is more difficult to prove.

In Alabama "A person commits adultery when he engages in sexual intercourse with another person who is not his spouse and lives in cohabitation with that other person when he or that other person is married." Adultery is a Class B misdemeanor.

Since adultery is still a crime in Virginia, persons in divorce proceedings may use the Fifth Amendment. Any criminal convictions for adultery can determine alimony and asset distribution. In 2016 there was a bill in Virginia to decriminalize adultery and make it only a civil offense, but the Virginia Senate did not advance the bill.

In the U.S. military, adultery is a potential court-martial offense. The enforceability of adultery laws in the United States is unclear following Supreme Court decisions since 1965 relating to privacy and sexual intimacy of consenting adults. However, occasional prosecutions do occur.

Six U.S. states (Hawaii, North Carolina, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah) allow the possibility of the tort action of alienation of affections (brought by a deserted spouse against a third party alleged to be responsible for the failure of the marriage). In a highly publicized case in 2010, a woman in North Carolina won a $9 million suit against her husband's mistress.
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GwydionFrost · 56-60, M
@AgapeLove Perhaps if the majority of the laws weren't archaic means to hinder pre-marital sex, or maintain male dominance over his "property".

See, problem is, treating adultery as a criminal offense instead of a civil one...? Well, what exactly is the crime? Breach of contract? They have legal recourse for that. Breach of trust? No kidding. But that covers all deception. Lying is only a crime if you are under oath. Called False Testimony. Guess what...? We have legal recourse for that, too. So... Identify the criminal offense, and let's talk.
Yeah cheating is shitty but no one is required to have the same morals.
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Because you can GET THE FUCK AWAY. That’s why. Are you a complete fucking moron. If you don’t like something MOVE OUT. @AgapeLove
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Tres13 · 51-55, M
punishment won't bring spouse back
SW-User
@Spoiledbrat you're just a train wreck waiting to happen. Goodluck to who ever "that guy" is lmao
You’re an idiot. @SW-User
Tres13 · 51-55, M
@AgapeLove revenge
Dshhh · M
how much government do you want in YOUR marriage.


i do not think the actions of [b]one[/b] person, no matter how reprehensible, should be subject to punishment, if another person harms themselves or others.
like
[i]a guy shoots up a school, because his gf is a teacher there and dumped him. SHE bears no responsibility[/i]

adultery, is not a crime in the united states, so is not subject to the courts.

Each person is responsible for their own actions, not those of others.

thus, we have divorce.

[quote]It's illegal for police stations to torture serial killers to get information [/quote]
[i]
torture is not effective,[/i] it only gets what the interrogator wants to hear, [b]it is cruel[/b], it is useless, and anyone with YOUR name, might reconsider.


i think any baker or whatever that does NOT want to bake that cake? should not be made too.

commerce is voluntary,,"we reserve the right to refuse service"

and yeah I see the irony as a black american where service to US was denyed many years.
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Marriage and relationships have no place in the courts of law.
Marriage is an emotional bond between two people, not a possession.

My opinion. If the person dies as a emotional response to being denied is a tragic thing however it's not something to be punished over.
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Azrael2 · 22-25, T
Bruh 💀💀💀 it's about freedom to choose what they want to do with themselves. It might just fall under bodily autonomy. Seriously, if someone's in a monogamous relationship and cheats, they don't really consider the other person their "one true love". Liteering on the streets is bad for the environment hun, refusal to provide services is discrimination. It's not that deep.
HannibalAteMeOut · 22-25, F
The state cannot punish people for breaking promises. First of all it's not practical, secondly there are going to be some weird discussions and debates about where somebody's freedom begins and where it ends. The state doesn't even punish for emotional/psychological abuse, because there are not clear limits. Even in adultery there aren't clear limits. Everyone will give you their own definition of it.
KaiserSolze · 46-50, F
@HannibalAteMeOut marriage is a contract.
HannibalAteMeOut · 22-25, F
@KaiserSolze I have never seen any marriage contract so I don't know if it states anywhere anything about adultery.
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The adulterer is not responsible for the choice of the one who committed suicide. He or she didn't cause anyone else to behave in any particular manner.
But ‘some’ people actually seek to DESTROY said person because of so called retribution in which case someone needs to get a life. @PhoenixPhail
I suppose they get to live with that guilt the rest of their lives. Why should this be regulated by a governing authority? Why would anyone want their govt. involved? Why look for more regulation? That’s not going to stop people from being shitty people.
KaiserSolze · 46-50, F
What if your spouse by his actions is also your sworn enemy and you're trapped with them.

I've cheated once on an ex who cheated on me, as revenge. Other than that I don't cheat or lie.
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Spica · 31-35, F
Nothing should change. You can’t control the actions of others
Starcrossed · 41-45, F
No one should be punished.
There should be no punishment.
While tragic, the cheater has not forced their partner to take their life.
@AgapeLove

Sure, but if we started punishing people for knock on effects of their behaviour on others...well that would get out of control real quick.

I don't think adultery should be illegal because i don't think the government should be involved with our relationships.
Besides, people commit adultery for a number of reasons, not just because they're human garbage.

lol yes everything's good. Watchin some naruto😉
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@AgapeLove I have seen up to that point at least. I've managed to avoid spoilers for years though and i don't intend to stop now lol.

[quote]s. For instance, instructing someone to murder is technically not murdering, yet it is illegal[/quote]

But that's still an action undertaken with the [i]intention[/i] to kill.


[quote]what would happen if we did make adultery punishable[/quote]

I don't think it would change a whole hell of a lot, to be honest.
There doesn't seem to be much that anyone can do to stop people from boning when they want to bone.
Lostpoet · M
Idk, Adultery is very bad on its own. But if I ever cheated on my SO and they were so hurt that they killed themselves, I don't think I could live with myself and I'd end up killing myself forsure.
dubkebab · 51-55, M
The police and courts have plenty to keep them busy.Do you really want a whole new set of nuanced and difficult to enforce laws on the books?
KaiserSolze · 46-50, F
I think it should be illegal. It'd stop people doing it. And where there's illegality there's money to be made.
BlackHeart · 31-35, M
I wouldnt bake a cake for gays.. Because i cant bake
plinkplonk · F
A short "life" filled with shame and regret.
jackjjackson · 61-69, M
Put on your big boy pants and grow up.
caccoon · 36-40
What is "the Ninja world"?
@caccoon lol ah the dream 🥳
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caccoon · 36-40
@AgapeLove I thought that might be the case...

 
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