Beware mistresses of cheating spouses

[Autumm_wind]

From Telegraph.co.uk: Wife's $9m victory in adultery case warns mistresses to 'lay off'
by Nick Allen

A US woman who won $9 million (£6 million) in damages from her husband's alleged mistress said her legal victory sent a clear message to potential home-wreckers to "lay off".

Cynthia Shackelford, 60, a former teacher from North Carolina, was awarded the unprecedented sum by a jury in the United States for damages to her feelings under an obscure 19th century adultery law.

Mrs Shackelford took Miss Lundquist to court in Greensboro in North Carolina, one of seven states in America where the so-called "alienation of affection" law is still in force.

It evolved from common law under which women were classed as property of their husbands. As property, they were something that could be stolen. Both men and women are now able to sue under the law in North Carolina, Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota and Utah.

Bolded by me.

How many FSUers are from North Carolina, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah or Hawaii?

[bek]

Oooh... I'm wondering if Elin and Tiger own any houses in those particular states.

[mpal2]

I wonder any of the states listed are the one that still allows a woman to marry her house? It had something to do with getting around the treatment as property and allowed single women to keep their homes.

[orbitz]

This case and win are a joke. Pardon the cliche, but it takes two to tangle. People love to throw their public anger at the mistress(es) first, but no one forced the husband to have an affair. Take it out on the husband!

[Andora]

This case and win are a joke. Pardon the cliche, but it takes two to tangle. People love to throw their public anger at the mistress(es) first, but no one forced the husband to have an affair. Take it out on the husband!

I agree, but it's much easier to blame the other woman nine times out of ten.

I hope the husband was taken to the cleaners if this woman was successfully sued.

[milanessa]

Pardon the cliche, but it takes two to tangle.

I don't know if this was deliberate or a typo/brain fart but I love it!

[skatingfan5]

I don't know if this was deliberate or a typo/brain fart but I love it!

Not sure if it is the cheating spouse and the mistress/boyfriend or the cheated upon spouse and the other woman/man who are the ones doing the tangling. If the latter, I'm envisioning something that the WWF might try to market -- wife/mistress death match.

[milanessa]

Not sure if it is the cheating spouse and the mistress/boyfriend or the cheated upon spouse and the other woman/man who are the ones doing the tangling. If the latter, I'm envisioning something that the WWF might try to market -- wife/mistress death match.

[numbers123]

So in essence she is saying he is worth 9 million dollars? Or that she is worth 9 million dollars to repair her self esteem?

I get it that she is angry, I get that she would want some revenge, but ? I am not sure what the real motive is here

[mysticchic]

This might be a big settlement, but it happens a lot. I know of a laywer in Chicago who handles these cases and wins a lot.

[bobalina77]

I think that as long as she went after him as well (by divorcing him and taking him to the cleaners) then power to her. I suppose she would have to prove that the mistress knew he was married though.

[orbitz]

I don't know if this was deliberate or a typo/brain fart but I love it!

Um... I think my name will be put on the list of people who are undatable for mispelling and/or being careless with words I meant tango but now that you pointed out, I kind of like tangle better .

[berthesghost]

So in essence she is saying he is worth 9 million dollars? Or that she is worth 9 million dollars to repair her self esteem?

I get it that she is angry, I get that she would want some revenge, but ? I am not sure what the real motive is here

the jury set the award price, not the wife.

she probably won't get any of it, as the slut... sorry, I mean "other woman", isn't rich.

it may help her get some alimony from her well off deadbeat ex. though.

[StonewshMullet]

The ex-husband came forward to defend the OW by stating that he had numerous affairs over the course of his marriage and that he had gone through marriage counseling on 3 different occasions and nothing worked. I think the OW did the wife a favor by taking his pathetic cheating ass of her hands. Let him be someone elses problem. That being said, this suit is designed to warn women who like to chase after married men that it may have a much higher price tag then you expect.

[shan]

It must be something about that area. In the 90's there was an alienation of affection lawsuit in Burlington (less than 30 minutes from Greensboro). The wife in that case received $1 million dollars. And it was made into a TV movie with Park Overall and Laura Innes.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...6856-2,00.html

[IceKween]

Let's face it. Many men are *ssholes. They cheat. I have to say I'm glad this law is still on the books in those states. Any person who wants to sleep with a married man might think again before they do it. Men like to have sex, and sometimes it is up to the OTHER party to say NO. Get divorced, get the ring off, then we'll talk. In fact, I wish this law was in all 50 states.
If someone is all pro- protection of marriage, they should be behind these laws and make it a referendum in every state. Of course, it's easier to just hate TEH GAY, then to look at their own problems in the mirror.

[Autumm_wind]

Darling! I would never dream of cheating on you. <3

I couldn't afford it..

ETA: Christ, as someone who posted the article I could at least remember who is the paying party.

[allyx82]

I DON'T THINK SHE WILL EVERY GET THAT MUCH MONEY .. I THINK THE WHOLE POINT OF IT WAS TO PUBLICIZE THE MISTRESS AND DRAG HER NAME THOUGH DIRT WHICH i CAN UNDERSTAND.. I WOULD BE VERY BITTER TOO AFTER 33 YEARS OF MARRIAGE..BUT HONESTLY THIS IS JUST WRONG..THIS LAW NEEDS TO CHANGE..

"Lundquist was dean of a private school in North Carolina when she became entangled with Allan Shackelford, a married lawyer. Shackelford separated from his wife of 33 years and the two moved to New York, where Lundquist is now dean of students at a small college. In 2007, she was slapped with a lawsuit for “alienation of affection” by Cynthia Shackelford, and last week the verdict came in: The jury awarded $9 million to the spurned wife.

"I don't have a lot of money, so where this $9 million comes from is kind of hysterical," Lundquist"
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...0,731392.story

[milanessa]

I DON'T THINK SHE WILL EVERY GET THAT MUCH MONEY .. I THINK THE WHOLE POINT OF IT WAS TO PUBLICIZE THE MISTRESS AND DRAG HER NAME THOUGH DIRT WHICH i CAN UNDERSTAND.. I WOULD BE VERY BITTER TOO AFTER 33 YEARS OF MARRIAGE..BUT HONESTLY THIS IS JUST WRONG..THIS LAW NEEDS TO CHANGE..

We can hear you just fine with your indoor voice.

[Prancer]

We can hear you just fine with your indoor voice.

Yes, we can. Caps AND bold? Overkill.