Michigan Cracks Down On Adultery

While browsing the web for an inspiration for today's blog entry, I came upon a bit of disturbing news from Michigan.

Michigan's appeals court recently ruled that adultery can be prosecuted as first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony punishable by up to life in jail. The appeals court decision was motivated by a case involving a man convicted of trading prescription painkillers for sex. Prosecutors, wanting the defendant to get as much jail time as possible, added the charge of criminal sexual conduct, because the sex involved in this case was adulterous.

Judge William Murphy said, "Technically, any time a person engages in sexual penetration in an adulterous relationship, he or she is guilty of CSC I," which is the most serious sexual assault charge in the state's criminal code.

Though I don't think (I hope) that police will be going around and peeking in people's bedroom windows and checking marriage licenses, just the thought of a court handing down such a ruling concerns me.

First of all, the government has absolutely no business whatsoever trying to regulate the private sex lives of consenting adults. Period. Secondly, if they were ever to seriously attempt to enforce such a ludicrous law, then they'd better be prepared to build new jails on every vacant lot, as they'd be needing the space.

And despite the gains the religious right has made in recent years, America is not a theocracy -- not yet, at least.

The case mentioned above is a drug case, not a rape case -- any sex that took place was not relevant to the original charges.

Thoughts?