Seeing as America was mainly settled by Puritan pilgrims fleeing persecution in England, there are a lot of old laws from that and subsequent times still on the books that no one ever bothers to enforce because they are so outdated and farcical. Well, at least that is what you would hope.
This appears
not to be the case. In the state of North Carolina, three dozen charges were laid between 1997 and 2004 for no reason other unmarried couples living together. Utterly mind-boggling as it is, this anarchic 1805 law is still dealing out a penalty of a fine of up to $1000 and up to 60 days in jail. One woman who was faced with this law is Deborah Hobbs, who was
forced to quit her job at a sheriff's office after he discovered her domestic arrangements - he told her to "get married, move out or find another job." Ms Hobbs is suing to get the law declared unconstitutional.
The sheriff's response? "...Miss Hobbs' employment was a moral issue as well as a legal question. He said that he tries to avoid hiring people who openly live together, but he doesn't send out deputies to enforce the law." How nice of him to not send in the deputies to drag her off to jail, no, he just won't employ them. Can you say discrimination? Of the most absurd kind too.
"Is she Jewish?" "No." "Is she black?" "No." "Is she gay?" "No." "Is she Muslim?" "No." "Did she vote for Kerry." "I don't know." "Then what?" "She isn't married and lives with her boyfriend." "..."
Fortunately sanity will most likely prevail as there is a precedent. "...a 2003 Supreme Court ruling striking down a Texas anti-sodomy law... protects consensual sex among adults, "it's hard to understand any serious argument that it would not include" the right to live together." But then there are seven other states to go, with Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi and North Dakota all still having the law in place.
In fact, "In January, the North Dakota House defeated a challenge to its cohabitation law on a 52-37 vote." Some judges in North Carolina are also unlikely to support its abolishing.
"U.S. Magistrate Carl Horn in Charlotte, regularly asks defendants whether their living arrangements violate the cohabitation ban. Horn, who declined to be interviewed for this article, has refused to release violators unless they promise to comply."
So much for the vast left wing conspiracy in the judicial system.
These laws need to go, and they need to now and stop persecuting innocent people for exercising their civil rights.