Unmarried? Living together? You're breaking the law in Florida

[kpete]

Unmarried? Living together? You're breaking the law in Florida

By Kathleen Haughney, Tallahassee Bureau
3:31 a.m. EDT, August 31, 2011

TALLAHASSEE – Unmarried couples who want to take the plunge and move in together, take heart. A Florida legislator is seeking to make you legal.

"Cohabitation" of unmarried people is currently a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by $500 or up to 60 days in jail. The same penalty applies to cheating husbands and wives — though only to opposite-sex couples.

The laws have been on the books since the late 1800s, but are rarely enforced. In 2006, though, a Jacksonville woman did take advantage of the law and have her husband arrested for cheating, according to a news report. (It's not clear how the case came out.)

Now, Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne, is on a mission to repeal the statutes penalizing adultery and cohabitation, as well as other laws he finds outdated, like a requirement that all bicycle riders keep one hand on the handle bars. He filed adultery the bill last week — it's HB 4021 — though he hasn't returned phone calls about it for the past two days.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-adultery-repeal-bill-20110829,0,6515756.story

Florida Republicans Fight To Keep ‘Cohabitation’ Of Unmarried Couples Illegal
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/09/01/309647/florida-republicans-fight-to-keep-cohabitation-of-unmarried-couples-illegal/

[FLPanhandle]

1. Wow. I broke a few more laws I didn't even know about when I was single.

nt

[William769]

2. I'd hate to tell you how many laws I broke before 2003.

[William769]

3. Florida Home Sweet Home.

NOT!

[brooklynite]

4. Sounds like a "slippery slope" issue to me

Let the unmarried live together, and the next thing you know, they'll be.....dancing!

[RagAss]

5. "Cases" are laughed out of court.

[Skip_In_Boulder]

6. It's always been that way in Florida

But no one ever brings a case under the law.

[Maine-ah]

7. heh, I broke the law in Florida

from 1993-1995 co-habitation...

[leftynyc]

8. I lived in Arizona 30 years ago

and a male friend of mine and I shared a two bedroom apartment - totally platonic - we were informed we were breaking Arizona law. I can't believe this is still an issue. Like Inherit the Wind is still topical. Sigh.

[HockeyMom]

10. What about college dorms??????

Do they think only ONE PERSON should live in a college dorm?

[leftynyc]

16. When I did live in a dorm

my first year, we had suites - 3 bedrooms, bathroom and common room. 4 to a floor, 2 for men 2 for women. And that was 1978. It was in New York. One of the reasons I was so dumbfounded that I was breaking the law in Arizona.

[Lorien]

13. Ah yes, land of the "free".

sigh.

[leftynyc]

20. And don't forget

AZ is considered a "small government" state. Blech.

[2Design]

9. ck virginia - a past governor and senator and want a be senator

did this too - not sure if it was taken off the books or not and if George Allen gets back in - his feudal era laws will too

[HockeyMom]

11. Adultery Law in NY

When I was in college in the 90s, a professor (former DA NYC) discussed the Adultery Law still on the books in NY. JAIL TIME for Adulterers. Rudy was Mayor at the time. We all had a good laugh over that one. The Criminal Law Professor saw the perfect opportunity to discuss unenforceable laws on the books. Oh, yeah. Let's arrest the MAYOR of NYC fOR Adultery!

[TlalocW]

12. I admit I'm a law breaker

I once went hunting for whales with a rifle in an airplane... in Oklahoma.

TlalocW

[dems_rightnow]

14. Oklahoma whales need protected from people like you.

Where's the love?

[pipi_k]

15. Hahahahahahah!!!! I wonder if there's an age limit...

My mom and her boyfriend are Living In Sin in Lake Mary.

She's 77. He's mid 60s.


I hope they don't ask me to wire them bail money...


:7

[DiverDave]

17. Another law I broke in 1988

Man, I'm glad we got married...

[HockeyMom]

18. It's not just the young

I have known many widowed Seniors who live together and do not get married. Apart from financial reasons, some don't want to give up being Mrs. So and So to their deceased spouse.

Does Florida want to throw Granny and Grandpa in jail too for "living in sin"? Beyond absurd.

[Taitertots]

19. Some people (R's) complain about Sharia law, when we have religous based laws here already n/t

[LadyInAZ]

21. Cohabitation

I've broken this law many times. This day and age people live together for financial reasons... we all do at some point. Even now with the recession at our doorstep many have been forced to cohabit-ate to survive. Maybe florida courts should have thrown the case out??? Now we are going to see more of these cases across the country...