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Criminal charges

bigamy

Bigamy is the act of marrying one person while being legally married to another. Polygamy is the practice or custom (often religious) of having more than one wife or husband at a time. Most states prohibit a party from having more than one marriage license at a time, and in most states bigamy is a crime.

In Utah, bigamy is defined as the offense of marrying someone while already being legally married to another person. It is considered a crime under Utah law. The Utah State Legislature passed a bill in 2020 that effectively decriminalized bigamy among consenting adults, making it an infraction rather than a felony. This change was aimed at reducing the stigma for those practicing consensual polygamy, often for religious reasons, and encouraging reporting of abuse in polygamous communities. However, bigamy remains illegal if it is carried out through deception or results in some other type of fraud or abuse. It's important to note that while the practice of polygamy has been decriminalized to some extent, it is still not legally recognized, and the state does not issue marriage licenses for polygamous marriages.

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Criminal charges

bigamy

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Criminal charges

bigamy

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