{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "penal", "section": "255.20", "citation": "Penal Law § 255.20", "heading": "Unlawfully procuring a marriage license, bigamy, adultery: defense", "text": ["§ 255.20 Unlawfully procuring a marriage license, bigamy, adultery:", "defense.", "In any prosecution for unlawfully procuring a marriage license, bigamy, or adultery, it is an affirmative defense that the defendant acted under a reasonable belief that both he and the other person to the marriage or prospective marriage or to the sexual intercourse, as the case may be, were unmarried."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/255.20", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "In a prosecution for unlawfully procuring a marriage license, bigamy, or adultery, it is an affirmative defense that the defendant **reasonably believed both participants were unmarried** at the time of the marriage, proposed marriage, or intercourse. ★", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/penal/255.20", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}