Sec. 53a-190. Bigamy: Class D felony. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 53a-190. Bigamy: Class D felony. (a) A person is guilty of bigamy when he marries or purports to marry another person in this state if either is lawfully married; or so marries or purports to marry another person in any other state or country in violation of the laws thereof, and knowingly cohabits and lives with such other person in this state as husband and wife.

      (b) It shall be an affirmative defense to the charge of bigamy that at the time of the subsequent marriage or purported marriage: (1) The actor reasonably believed, based on persuasive and reliable information, that the prior spouse was dead; or (2) a court had entered a judgment purporting to terminate or annul any prior disqualifying marriage and the actor did not know that such judgment was invalid; or (3) the single person did not know that the other person was legally married.

      (c) Bigamy is a class D felony.

      (1969, P.A. 828, S. 192; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 47; P.A. 92-260, S. 73.)

      History: 1971 act substituted "A person" for "Any person" for conformity with other statutes; P.A. 92-260 made technical changes.

      Annotations to former section 53-221:

      Former statute cited. 129 C. 572. Cited. 142 C. 178.

      Cited. 22 CS 180. Omission, since 1875, of language declaring bigamous marriage to be null and void at most merely left validity of such marriages to be determined by general principles of common law. 26 CS 259.