New York has officially decriminalized adultery, repealing a law dating back to 1907 that made it a misdemeanor to cheat on one’s spouse. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill, stating that such matters should be handled by individuals, not the criminal justice system. Adultery bans were once common in the U.S. to make divorce more challenging, but many states have repealed or ignored these laws due to enforcement difficulties and changing societal attitudes. The New York law defined adultery as sexual intercourse involving at least one married person and was rarely enforced, with only a few charges and convictions since the 1970s. Efforts to repeal the law date back to the 1960s, but concerns about condoning infidelity delayed its removal until now.
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