Some Unusual State and Local Laws to Take Note of This Valentine's Day
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Connecting state and local government leaders
A number of state and municipal laws deal with relationships—both good and bad ones.
Some states and localities have unusual laws and offers dealing with relationships—both good and bad ones. Here are a few to review on this Valentine's Day.
Lock Up Your Ex on Valentine’s Day
The Rockmart Police Department in Georgia is providing residents who turn in a law-breaking ex for a special Valentine’s package.
According to a police post, this monthlong offer comes with a limited-edition platinum bracelet, free transportation with a chauffeur and a one-night minimum stay in a luxurious five-star facility. The offer also comes with a special Valentine’s dinner with “unbelievable accommodations.”
“Do you have an ex-Valentine and know they have outstanding warrants? Do you have information that they are driving with drugs in their car? Give us a call with their location and we’ll take care of the rest,” the Rockmart Police Department’s post said. “We know this special is so incredible that you may be tempted to provide additional referrals. We don't blame you, this special is too sweet to pass up. Operators are standing by!”
Department officials say they expect at least a few people to take them up on their creative offer.
Got an STD? No Wedding for You
In Nebraska, a law prevents people with sexually transmitted diseases from marrying—and makes it difficult for people to annul their marriages for similar reasons. According to a Nebraska statute, “marriage of one afflicted with VD is not void but voidable.”
However, in 2020 state Sen. Matt Hansen proposed a bill seeking to change that. “We had a constituent call us who had wanted an annulment for that reason, but the confusing case law ultimately stopped them—so we want to strike the old language," he said.
It’s unclear why the law was written in the first place, Hansen said. The measure’s been on the books in Nebraska since at least 1944 and has not been amended since the 1970s. It’s a relatively obscure piece of legislation, he added.
Hansen’s bill didn't go anywhere so the law is still on the books.
No Sex for Singles
In Idaho, any unmarried person who has sexual intercourse with an unmarried person of the opposite sex is guilty of fornication, according to an Idaho statute.
If found guilty, a person “shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than three months, or by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period not exceeding three years, or in the county jail for a period not exceeding one year, or by fine not exceeding $1000,” reads the sex crime law.
According to Twin Falls, Idaho attorney Grant Loebs, the law has been around since at least 1921.
“It’s one of those laws that comes out of a particular attempt to enforce a moral code on people,” Loebs told The Spokesman-Review. “The way this is written, it’s a catch-all thing.”
Andre Claudio is an assistant editor at Route Fifty.
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