As of this week, the state of Utah has drastically reduced the penalty for polygamy.

The new law reduces polygamous marriage from a felony to an infraction more in line with a traffic summons, punishable by community service and a fine of up to $750, so long as the marriage was entered into voluntarily.

Why decriminalize polygamy? Supporters say it will keep the courts from breaking up families and allow victims of abuse to come forward without fear of going to jail themselves. But critics say it ‘normalizes’ the practice and allows young women to be exploited.

Utah is believed to be the state with the most cases of multiple marriage.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/us/utah-bigamy-law.html