Is bigamy a crime in the US?

Is bigamy a crime in the US?

United States Polygamy is the act or condition of a person marrying another person while still being lawfully married to another spouse. 2d 228) treat bigamy as a strict liability crime: in some jurisdictions, a person can be convicted of a felony even if he reasonably believed he had only one legal spouse.

Why bigamy is a crime?

Bigamy is prohibited under Section 494 of the Indian Penal Code. The law states that, whoever in the lifetime of existing husband/wife marries someone else, such marriage by reason of its taking place during the lifetime of such husband or wife, should be considered void and should be punished for such offence.

Is bigamy a crime in California?

Penal Code 281 PC – California “Bigamy” Laws. The statute reads that “(a) Every person having a husband or wife living, who marries any other person, except in the cases specified in Section 282, is guilty of bigamy.” In California, bigamy is a crime. In fact, it is what is known as a “wobbler” in California law.

Can a woman be a bigamist?

Under the old law, there was a bar against a woman marrying a second husband while her first husband is alive unless custom permitted her. Even under the criminal law, it is extremely to prove bigamy, as the marriage has to be validly performed to prove the offence of bigamy.