Every state has their embarrassing legal relics—you know, those antiquated laws that are still somehow on the books today, leaving police to wonder, Am I really supposed to arrest this guy for cheating on his wife? (a felony in Michigan).
This month we focus on Virginia, where legislators took a real lulu off the books. According to CNN, in the state’s code, “fornication”—consensual sex with an unmarried person—wasn’t legal. Guilty parties could be made to pay a $250 fine. Though a 2005 Virginia Supreme Court decision struck the law down, citing it as an “unconstitutional government intrusion,” it remained in the code until this year.
Unlock all articles, full galleries and digital magazines – 3 days for only $1.35.
