As of 2019, data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that around 7% of the adult population were unmarried partners living together. Today, this type of cohabitation is still illegal in Michigan.
While the law hasn’t been enforced in some time, it could carry a penalty of prison time and $1,000. Lawmakers in the state are currently trying to get it removed.
This week, “Something Offbeat” looked into this law and other “dead crimes” on the books in the U.S.
“In California, it’s technically a crime to eat oranges in the bathtub,” said Joel Johnson, a law professor at Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law. “Apparently a century ago – I researched just a little bit – it was believed that the citric acid from oranges could cause an explosion if it was mixed with bath oil. It turns out that’s not true.”
Johnson penned “Dealing with Dead Crimes”, an examination of these outdated rules and how they actually undermine the rule of law.
Could you be guilty of one of these dead crimes? Listen to host Mike Rogers’ discussion with Johnson to find out!
Each week, “Something Offbeat” takes a deeper look at an unusual headline. If you have suggestions for stories the podcast should cover, send them to us at somethingoffbeat@audacy.com.
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