Is Polygamy legal in the US?

Question

Is it legal in Utah? Watching stuff on Warren Jeffs and wondering if that's even legal and how these people in Utah do this? (it's sicking to know 11, 12, 13 year old girls are being abused like this.)

I searched Yahoo and Google but didn't see anything. Maybe not entering right info.

Yeah, I wasn't sure if Jeffs was arrested for polygamy or just the underage children... but I guess it's both. Thanks for updating me.

Answer 1

I'm from Utah and first off need to say it is NOT the norm, despite how some people view Utahs, which is hillarious.

It is very sad situation for these children growing up. I see polygamists every once in a while at a Wal-Mart and the women are very submissive. The boys are workhorses. They all dress like pioneers. Women wear levis underneath their dresses (no joke).

They get major tax benefits for having such large families.

I would read about Colorado City.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_City,_Arizona

Yeah it is messed up.

Again for everyone out there that doesn't know much about Utah.

Polygamy is NOT the norm. It is probably like .05 % of the whole Utah population.

Answer 2

Marriage between 11, 12, and 13-year-olds are not likely to become legal anytime soon without parental permission, and as old laws which are mostly unremembered are overriden, this practice will also end. As for polygamy, I think it depends on the state, and I don't know any examples of where it would be legal. However, it should be legal between consenting adults, even if we don't like it... for those who believe in Traditional Marriage, polygamy is about as traditional as you can get!

Answer 3

It's not legal, even in Utah. Arguably it's more illegal in Utah than most places since I believe it's in the state constitution there. While it's illegal, these guys in the Fundamentalist LDS Church (NOT the regular LDS church) have gotten away with it mostly because it's so hard to prove (no one will testify, there's no paper trail) and there's a fear that if these guys were pushed too far they'd go dangerously wacko and we'd get Waco or Jonestown all over again.

Answer 4

It's not legal anywhere...not even Utah. Those people have "spiritual marriages" w/ those girls...not legal ones. It's also messed up how a lot of times they kick out the young boys aged 12 and above to keep all the young girls for themselves. Pervs.

Answer 5

Not legal. And see Reynolds v. U.S.
http://supreme.justia.com/us/98/145/case.html

But of course, like Jimmy Goldsmith with his English and his French family, there are lots of concubines and second families about. If not many, like Warren Jeffs, with 80 wives, some of them barely past puberty.

Then there was the Rev. David Berg and his Children of God
http://www.xfamily.org

Answer 6

The reason you're seeing Warren Jeffs on TV is because he was arrested for being a polygamist (and for a few other reasons involving child rape).

So, no. It's not legal anywhere in the U.S..

Answer 7

It is not legal anywhere in the USA. In the 1890's, the government was challenged on outlawing polygamy. Someone sued and said they should be allowed to polygamists. They lost, and the law was upheld.

Answer 8

It's illegal in America, even I believe in Utah. I don't really understand how we can allow people to immigrate here, then tell them they can have only one legal wife, if they were legally married in another country. it seems a bit odd.

Answer 9

No it is not legal in the US.
Not in Utah
Not for Muslims
Not in a box
Not with a fox
Oops I started channeling Green Eggs and Ham!

Answer 10

Utah banned the practice. It's illegal to practice polygamy.