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HB 6158

Criminal procedure: indictment; reference to indictment of adultery; remove. Amends sec. 44, ch. VII of 1927 PA 175 (MCL 767.44).

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Emily Dievendorf and 3 co-sponsors

Michigan bill removes outdated adultery indictment references from 1927 criminal procedure statute, eliminating obsolete language from active law.

bill electronically reproduced 11/26/2024
#criminalprocedure:indictment
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Bill Summary · HB 6158

Legislative bill overview

HB 6158 removes outdated references to adultery indictments from Michigan's criminal procedure statutes (specifically MCL 767.44 from the 1927 Public Act 175). Adultery is no longer prosecuted as a crime in Michigan, making these statutory references obsolete legal artifacts.

Why is this important

This is a housekeeping measure that eliminates confusing or misleading language in the criminal code that could theoretically be misinterpreted or create ambiguity for legal practitioners. Removing dead law from statutes improves code clarity and prevents the appearance that adultery remains a prosecutable offense when it does not.

Potential points of contention

  • Minimal opposition expected — This appears to be non-controversial cleanup legislation with no identifiable constituency defending obsolete adultery statutes
  • Scope questions — Whether this bill should be expanded to remove other outdated criminal references from 1927 PA 175 while the statute is being amended
  • Implementation timing — Possible debate over whether this should be bundled with broader criminal code modernization efforts versus handled individually

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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