Post by Logan on Mar 3, 2016 4:22:24 GMT -6
Utah House OKs felony status for polygamy in attempt to revive law
Polygamy would again be a felony under a bill approved Wednesday by the Utah House of Representatives and sent to the Senate.
The state's bigamy law was invalidated by a 2013 court decision after the state was sued by a polygamous family from the TV show "Sister Wives." A proposal by Kanab Republican Rep. Mike Noel would revive the criminal penalty by changing the law and sidestepping the court's ruling.
Under the bill, cohabitation with multiple partners would not be sufficient for prosecution.
By inserting the word "and" into existing law, Noel said, the "Sister Wives" lawsuit could be made moot because a person charged with a felony would have to both live in a polygamous relationship and purport to be married to multiple spouses.
Read more: www.sltrib.com/news/politics/3608377-155/utah-house-oks-felony-status-for
Polygamy would again be a felony under a bill approved Wednesday by the Utah House of Representatives and sent to the Senate.
The state's bigamy law was invalidated by a 2013 court decision after the state was sued by a polygamous family from the TV show "Sister Wives." A proposal by Kanab Republican Rep. Mike Noel would revive the criminal penalty by changing the law and sidestepping the court's ruling.
Under the bill, cohabitation with multiple partners would not be sufficient for prosecution.
By inserting the word "and" into existing law, Noel said, the "Sister Wives" lawsuit could be made moot because a person charged with a felony would have to both live in a polygamous relationship and purport to be married to multiple spouses.
Read more: www.sltrib.com/news/politics/3608377-155/utah-house-oks-felony-status-for