Naughty Cheating Spouses Can Be Sent to Jail in Illinois? Maybe

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned the old saying goes. It's not fun for men either. However, is it really true that you can have your cheating spouse sent to jail in Illinois? That depends on who you believe.

One of Pat Benatar's most popular songs is "Love is a Battlefield". She's not wrong. This song comes to mind as I just came across an article that Woman's Day shared years ago about adultery laws and states where a cheating spouse can be jailed. Guess what? Illinois is one of those states.

No offense intended to Woman's Day, but they aren't who I turn to for legal questions. I'm not a lawyer either nor do I play one on TV. That's why I did some research from a real Illinois lawyer website called Sterling Lawyers. They mention some very interesting things about whether it really is true that you can have your dirty rotten good for nothing cheating spouse sent to jail in Illinois. (My words, not theirs)

• They say that it is true that adultery is a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois and can result in one year in jail.
• Illinois has not had a new update to adultery laws in more than 60 years.
• No one has been sent to jail in Illinois for adultery since 1997.

The conclusion? It's one big maybe and probably leans toward not likely or realistic. Again, I'm not a lawyer. It's just my takeaway.

Let's face it. Love is hard and I would agree with many that adultery is a cruel and selfish act, but I'm no one's judge. While it might make you feel better that you can fantasize about having a cheating spouse locked up, it's probably not gonna happen now. But, talk to a real lawyer if you really need to know.