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Plural Marriage

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DukeOfMarshall

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? NC

2 Quick Questions

1. Does anyone have any links/references for legal information concerning polygamy in NC and other states?

2. Would someone be arrested/charged with polygamy if he legally married 1st wife in the states and legally married his 2nd wife in another country that recognizes polygamy even though all three now reside in the states?
 


rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
DukeOfMarshall said:
What is the name of your state? NC

2 Quick Questions

1. Does anyone have any links/references for legal information concerning polygamy in NC and other states?

2. Would someone be arrested/charged with polygamy if he legally married 1st wife in the states and legally married his 2nd wife in another country that recognizes polygamy even though all three now reside in the states?
Are they citizens of the country recognizing polyomy?
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
In this case, since the USA recognizes legal marriages conducted in other countries by their citizens, this would be a legal marriage, is Wife #1 objecting or are any other laws being violated?
 

DukeOfMarshall

Junior Member
Wife #1 is not objecting and the family does not break any other laws except for maybe the occasional speeding ticket as we all do sometimes.
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
Remember there may be some obscure law of which you are not aware, or if one of the wives is under age on consent, etc. There might be some issues with filing income tax returns, you might check with a tax attorney re that issue.
 

DukeOfMarshall

Junior Member
True. Both wives are at least over the age of 20. Good point about the taxes. I might have to start a thread on another board for that one.
 

seniorjudge

Senior Member
DukeOfMarshall said:
What is the name of your state? NC

2 Quick Questions

1. Does anyone have any links/references for legal information concerning polygamy in NC and other states?

2. Would someone be arrested/charged with polygamy if he legally married 1st wife in the states and legally married his 2nd wife in another country that recognizes polygamy even though all three now reside in the states?
Polygamy is illegal in the United States.
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
seniorjudge said:
Polygamy is illegal in the United States.
But the USA also recognizes valid marriages, preformed in other countries by their citizens as is the case here, moving to the USA doesn't invalidate an otherwise legal marriage in another country binding two citizens of that country and jurisdiction. That is not to say that the husband will have it easy dividing up his time between his wives once they discover their new found freedom. :D

edit:
If wife #2 has not immigrated or already has a green card etc, then polygamy is going to prevent immigration or visa for wife #2.
 
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LdiJ

Senior Member
rmet4nzkx said:
But the USA also recognizes valid marriages, preformed in other countries by their citizens as is the case here, moving to the USA doesn't invalidate an otherwise legal marriage in another country binding two citizens of that country and jurisdiction. That is not to say that the husband will have it easy dividing up his time between his wives once they discover their new found freedom. :D
I think we ought to listen to SeniorJudge on this one. I doubt that the US would recognize the second marriage....even if its legally valid in another county.
 

seniorjudge

Senior Member
LdiJ said:
I think we ought to listen to SeniorJudge on this one. I doubt that the US would recognize the second marriage....even if its legally valid in another county.
Anyone who voluntarily marries two women needs his head (the big one) examined. :p
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
LdiJ said:
I think we ought to listen to SeniorJudge on this one. I doubt that the US would recognize the second marriage....even if its legally valid in another county.
OP's question was,
Would someone be arrested/charged with polygamy if he legally married 1st wife in the states and legally married his 2nd wife in another country that recognizes polygamy even though all three now reside in the states?
That was the question I answered. Now if immigration was an issue for Wife#2, that is another story, but if all three reside in USA under legal visa's and/or dual/citizenship and husband and Wife #2 get married in their country of origin where they both hold citizenship and have a valid marriage there, NC has no jurisdiction over that marriage.
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
seniorjudge said:
Anyone who voluntarily marries two women needs his head (the big one) examined. :p
But for someone from a culture where this is permitted, often for practical purposes or obligation, it may be a different story. Remember there was a time when there was an obligation for a brother to marry his deceased brother's wife and to provide for his children, historically, polygamy was a hedge against poverty in widows and orphans when women had very different status in life.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
rmet4nzkx said:
OP's question was,

That was the question I answered. Now if immigration was an issue for Wife#2, that is another story, but if all three reside in USA under legal visa's and/or dual/citizenship and husband and Wife #2 get married in their country of origin where they both hold citizenship and have a valid marriage there, NC has no jurisdiction over that marriage.
I agree, but NC doesn't have to recognize that marriage either if he already has a wife and THAT marriage is recognized.
 

DukeOfMarshall

Junior Member
Ok, just to throw a twist into my original question, would a man be charged/arrested with polygamy in the US if he and both wives were legal US citizens, first wife was married in the US, and he and the second wife holding dual citizenship and married in the foreign country that recognizes plural marriage?
 
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