How does Bigamist Get Caught | 12 Ways Bigamist Get Caught

Bigamy occurs when someone lawfully marries someone else and then attempts to legally marry someone else while the original marriage is still in force. There are legal repercussions to this. Thus, we have made this post on how does bigamist get caught.

It is often extramarital affairs whenever a spouse believes a married loved one is having romantic encounters with others. These circumstances do, however, sometimes constitute bigamy. The spouse may turn the individual in if they feel it is necessary.

By doing this, justice will be sure to impose the appropriate punishments when the proof is strong enough. This individual may file a lawsuit to seek redress for suffering and discomfort in certain states and under particular conditions. This is in addition to how the second or subsequent marriage may affect their standing in the community.

Additionally, marriage is a social and legal union. Additionally, laws are in place to protect the purity of marriage and stop behavior seen as immoral. Therefore, every judicial system gives a theory of marriage that outlines the elements that make a marriage genuine.

Additionally, it defines unlawful behavior and offers justification for its abolition. Therefore, the subject of this essay is bigamy and the associated legal repercussions. Come along!

Definition of Bigamy

Bigamy is defined by law as a circumstance in which a person who is already lawfully wed engages in a second marriage agreement with a different person without ending the first.

Before becoming married again, a person must dissolve their previous union by divorce, annulment, or death. The state may accuse someone of bigamy if a second marriage starts before the previous one terminates.

In contrast to polygamy, which often consists of one marriage with numerous partners, bigamy includes two distinct marriages. Bigamy often entails one spouse lying to the other about the status of their existing union, but with polygamy, all parties are typically aware of the situation. Numerous reported incidents of polygamy are numerous marriage agreements being entered into by serial bigamists.

What are the Laws Regarding Bigamy?

First, bigamy is illegal in most western nations, which do not recognize polygamous marriages. The practice of polygamy is also outlawed in a few nations. For instance, it is illegal to do this in several states of the United States.

According to diplomatic law, polyamorous couples are immune from the general ban on polygamy in host nations. However, a polygamous diplomat may only have one spouse accredited in several nations.

How do Bigamists Get Caught?

Bigamists get caught in the following ways:

• Marriage records.
• Social media
• DNA testing
• Informants
• Surveillance
• Inaccurate paperwork
• Fingerprinting
• DNA testing
• People report bigamists to law enforcement
• File taxes under two names
• File marriage licenses in multiple states
• Bigamists are caught during background checks

Marriage Records

Producing the person’s original marriage license or any other official documents proving their matrimony is one of the most straightforward methods to establish bigamy.

Marriage records are not kept in a centralized database. Instead, many states offer web pages explaining how to pay for and get vital information. And anybody may get marriage records in several states, including Alabama. But not every state is the same. In Alaska, marriage documents are only made public after 50 years unless you are the registrar, defined as one of the two married persons.

Records are given to relatives, or if you can demonstrate that it is necessary to settle a family dispute in Oregon and other more tolerant states. You need to understand your spouse’s county of residence if the marriage occurred in California since counties keep marriage certificates.

Social media

Social networking sites are fantastic tools for reconnecting with old acquaintances, staying in contact with relatives, and detecting your spouse who is married to someone else in a fancy ceremony.

Most often, individuals use social media sleuths to learn all the important information about their spouse’s second marriage from the “public” pages.

Additionally, they may utilize all internet wedding photos to force their bigamist spouses into a divorce.

DNA testing

DNA paternity testing uses DNA profiling to establish the biological relationship between two people. A paternity test provides genetic evidence that a guy is the child’s biological father.

A pregnancy test determines if a woman is a person’s biological mother. A person’s chance of being a genetic grandparent to a grandchild may also be determined via tests. DNA-based testing has been sought to prove paternity and support claims for childcare, inheritance, naturalization, and family harmony.

More recently, bogus paternity claims that had been rejected in favor of the child’s mother before DNA evidence was presented had been challenged. Additionally, technology may be utilized to catch bigamists and validate marriages.

Informants

Police personnel that is hybrids are not informants. As private people, they are allowed to look into situations. They can readily report a bigamist because of this. They may also carry out surveillance, review public records, and phone persons to confirm background information.

Checking out social media sites, speaking with friends and relatives, and reviewing datasets are further investigation tactics.

Surveillance

With proper surveillance, you can easily catch a bigamist. Modern technologies allow people to communicate and conceal their actions more simply than ever. Surveillance is usually always involved while monitoring a partner’s actions.

A bigamist may also be caught using this method. This might include keeping a close eye on their deeds and mannerisms or keeping tabs on their internet activity.

Your companion can browse the internet using a pc, iPad, or mobile device. It may be simpler to monitor what they are doing. It’s also important to closely monitor their whereabouts, including any online activities.

This includes travel, working late, using an ATM, making phone calls, or sending emails, among other things. This will make it easier for you to keep track of things, which will be crucial if your spouse attempts to hide anything.

Inaccurate paperwork

Every marriage requires correct documentation. Inaccurate documentation is a fantastic method to identify a bigamist.

A credit check may discover a jointly owned mortgage incorrectly reported when buying a house.

Fingerprinting

Today, people still utilize fingerprints as a crucial tool to identify criminals. And a lot of individuals use it as their method of bigamist detection. This is true since every person’s fingerprint typically contains name and marital status information.

Tax returns 

An audit of bank accounts and tax filing papers can disclose unusual names listed as recipients and spouses. Thus, bigamists can be easily caught in this way.

People Report Bigamists to Law Enforcement

However, American law expressly permits anyone to report bigamists to law enforcement in this area, even if certain witness admissions are not admissible owing to privilege restrictions. They might also provide testimony in favor of or against the offender on the validity of the first marriage.

The reporter could therefore attest to the first marriage’s existence and the defendant’s awareness of and desire to consummate a second marriage. This is still lawful even if the original marriage had yet to be dissolved.

Bigamists file taxes under two names.

Married couples may file their taxes together by choosing the filing status known as married filing jointly. When bigamists file their taxes as married couples, they may each include their income, credits, deductions, and exemptions on the same tax form. By thoroughly checking, you may find that bigamist often file their taxes under two names.

Bigamists File Marriage Licenses in Multiple States

In every state, official government documents verify marriage license applications and issuance. This makes it impossible for someone to get two or more marriage licenses in the same state. Therefore, bigamists often apply for marriage licenses in many states. A court subpoena may force a record keeper to verify such documents and provide evidence during a trial.

What are the Consequences of Bigamy?

The court must show that the defendant was legitimately wed to the first party to establish bigamy. The court must then demonstrate that the original marriage never terminated.

In other circumstances, the defendant may have abandoned the divorce process or considered the first spouse deceased. Bigamy may no longer be a factor if the offender shows they had good cause to think the prior marriage was terminated.

However, the offender may face bigamy charges if they engaged in a second marriage while knowing the prior marriage had not dissolved. Misdemeanor bigamy in the US has a maximum sentence of one year in county jail, whereas felony bigamy carries a maximum sentence of three years. The extent of deceit involved determines whether bigamy is a misdemeanor or felony in court.

How can bigamists be prevented from getting away with it?

First, bigamists may be prosecuted for a crime or misdemeanor based on state legislation. Second, each state will have its laws on bigamy. However, the normal sentence is a medium-sized fine and five years in jail. Additionally, depending on the area and state legislation, bigamists may face a broad range of criminal punishments when found guilty. For example, if the defendant has a history of bigamous convictions, the penalties might sometimes be increased.

Conclusion

A person has committed bigamy if they knowingly engage in a bigamous union. Even though it is illegal in principle, it is often punished in reality, particularly when it includes a deceptive plot to take someone else’s property or conduct another offense.

Bigamy is sometimes categorized as the most serious degree of a misdemeanor or the lowest level of a crime, which is the same as failing to register as a sexual offender. The consequences for bigamy vary by state. However, they are frequently less severe than the consequences of being found guilty of drunk driving.

Expert Advice

In conclusion, bigamy may be a criminal offense and complicate divorce or separation. So, confirm your status and seek instant legal counsel if you have doubts about whether you are still married.

Even if you can be in a new relationship and eager to begin the next phase of your life, you must ensure that the previous chapter has been legally closed before moving on. The situation might be more challenging if you were married in a religious ceremony or overseas. This is true since records are sometimes kept differently, and divorce and marriage procedures are sometimes more complex.