Should reading your wife's e-mail be a crime?

In summary, a man in Rochester Hills, Michigan is facing up to 5 years in prison for accessing his wife's email without her permission. This is the first time a Michigan statute typically used for identity theft and stealing trade secrets has been applied in a domestic case. Legal experts say it may be difficult to prove and some argue that it should be considered a moral issue rather than a criminal one. However, others argue that there are legitimate reasons for maintaining privacy from one's spouse and that it is not our place to decide how much privacy should be allowed in a marriage. Overall, the situation has sparked a debate about the boundaries of privacy within a marriage.

Should reading your wife's e-mail be a crime?


  • Total voters
    21
  • #106
Evo said:
Adultery would count against her, he could make it a "fault" divorce, which might be why she's grasping at straws.

It does sound like she's just trying to get back at him because of the whole "alerting the father to possible violence".

Aside from wasting money, it will achieve nothing.
lisab said:
Are prisons not crowded enough with 'criminals' who smoke a bit of weed?

Until the law says otherwise they are still criminals.

I don't know about the US, but the UK is currently cutting back on sentencing even for things such as knife crime. So I'm not so sure if that statement holds true.

(Yeah, I know it's not meant to be taken seriously. But I felt compelled to mention it.)
 
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  • #107
Evo said:
Adultery would count against her, he could make it a "fault" divorce, which might be why she's grasping at straws.
If intercepting your spouses email is a brigde of privacy then it seems logical to me that a bridge of the marriage contract should also be punishable by law( i.e a felony).

I think this issue is a bit rediculous. Mothers infrige on the privacy of their children daily; perhaps they should also be put in jail!

I think the guy should sue for emotional distress.
 
  • #108
NeoDevin said:
If someone gives one permission to access their email, it's not a crime to do so. If one doesn't have permission, but accesses it anyways, that is a crime, whether or not the people involved are married.
It would certainly be grounds for divorce and settlement, but not for imprisonment.
 
  • #109
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
I think this issue is a bit rediculous. Mothers infrige on the privacy of their children daily; perhaps they should also be put in jail!

As I believe DaveC mentioned earlier, this is a different situation.
 
  • #110
jarednjames said:
As I believe DaveC mentioned earlier, this is a different situation.

Why is it any different ? If the child is not a minor then I do not see the difference.

Why is it that a mother can search the room of her son whom she suspects to be engaging in clandestine activities without a search warrant ?
 
  • #111
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
Why is it that a mother can search the room of her son whom she suspects to be engaging in clandestine activities without a search warrant ?

Uh, whose room is it exactly? :rolleyes:

Children under 18 are pretty much entitled to what their parents give them.

Can you specify why a child would have a legal right to privacy?

If you are talking about offspring that are over 18, please say so.
 
  • #112
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
Why is it any different ? If the child is not a minor then I do not see the difference.

Why is it that a mother can search the room of her son whom she suspects to be engaging in clandestine activities without a search warrant ?

If the child is under age, they are the legal responsibility of their parents. That is why parents can infringe on the privacy of their children.

Once the child is considered an adult, the parent has no right to do so.

I remember watching an episode of "Worlds Strictest Parents USA" and they were explaining that in Texas (I believe that was the state), if a minor 'runs away' from home the parent has the right to call the cops and have the child arrested. Something which they demonstrated when the unruly child run off and they had her thrown in a cell for a few hours.
 
  • #113
jarednjames said:
Once the child is considered an adult, the parent has no right to do so.
Though that does not preclude the adult-child from waiving those rights "as long as you're under my roof".
 
  • #114
I honestly thought the whole legal responsibility "thingy" ended when the child ceased to be considered a minor which is at age 16.
 
  • #115
DaveC426913 said:
Though that does not preclude the adult-child from waiving those rights "as long as you're under my roof".

Certainly, as I mentioned before, that then becomes the 'terms for living/staying in the house'. It is the agreement between you and your parents.
 
  • #116
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
I honestly thought the whole legal responsibility "thingy" ended when the child ceased to be considered a minor which is at age 16.

Once the child reaches the ages of legal responsibility (18 I believe in most places) they are no longer the responsibility of their parents/guardians.

Nobody here has said any different.
 
  • #117
jarednjames said:
Once the child reaches the ages of legal responsibility (18 I believe in most places) they are no longer the responsibility of their parents/guardians.

Nobody here has said any different.
Well where I live ( Ontario) it is age 16; basically,when you can leave home without parental consent.
 
  • #118
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
Well where I live ( Ontario) it is age 16; basically,when you can leave home without parental consent.

It does vary from country to country, but legal responsibility is the age at which you can vote and enter a contract basically. As far as I'm aware, that is the age at which you are no longer legally a minor and considered the responsibility of your parents.

Something that is bugging me with this case is that you don't enter a contract with your spouse to lose your right to privacy from what I've seen. Heck, your doctor still has to keep things confidential.

EDIT: I've just skimmed law in Canada and it seems the age is 18 when full responsibility is removed from your parents. Being able to leave home is not the same as full responsibility being removed from your parents. Until 18, if you are arrested your parents are informed. Until you are 18, your parents can apply for custody of you. Until you are 18, you can be considered financially dependent on your parents.
 
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  • #119
jarednjames said:
It does vary from country to country, but it's the age at which you can vote and enter a contract basically.

Something that is bugging me with this case is that you don't enter a contract with your spouse to lose your right to privacy from what I've seen. Heck, your doctor still has to keep things confidential.
I think this kind of issues should be kept out of court. There are so many different scenerios like this that could arise.

Does a husband have legal right you ask his spouse "who called ? " on a phone line that they share when the call was not for him ?

Does his spouse have the right to take a message for him without permission ?
 
  • #120
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
Well where I live ( Ontario) it is age 16; basically,when you can leave home without parental consent.
Age of majority in Ontario is 18. Sorry. Might want to unpack that suitcase.
 
  • #121
DaveC426913 said:
Age of majority in Ontario is 18. Sorry. Might want to unpack that suitcase.
I am pretty sure it is 16 in Ontario... I haven't checked recently;unless it changed.
 
  • #122
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
I am pretty sure it is 16 in Ontario... I haven't checked recently;unless it changed.

I just checked, as per my previous post. It's 18.
 
  • #123
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
I am pretty sure it is 16 in Ontario... I haven't checked recently;unless it changed.

I live in Ontario too.

I didn't just guess. It is freely Googleable: "age of majority Ontario" or "Ontario minor age"
 
  • #124
Heh. It's no the news right now.

"felony misuse of the computer" is the offical charge.

In Canada, wiretapping and hacking statutes could both apply to a case such as this.
 
  • #125
DaveC426913 said:
I live in Ontario too.

I didn't just guess. It is freely Googleable: "age of majority Ontario" or "Ontario minor age"

Are you sure that the age of majority applies to the leaving home issue.? I did a quick search myself and also saw 16 and 18. :-$.

If I am wrong then I am sorry.

Edit

Btw I searched for "legal age to move out in ontario". Almost all results said 16.
 
  • #126
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
Are you sure that the age of majority applies to the leaving home issue.? I did a quick search myself and also saw 16 and 18. :-$.

If I am wrong then I am sorry.

Edit

Btw I searched for "legal age to move out in ontario". Almost all results said 16.
Look up "emancipation". You can apply for emancipation at 16.

Unless you get emancipated, you are still a minor, and your parents can haul you by your ear back home.
 
  • #127
DaveC426913 said:
Look up "emancipation". You can apply for emancipation at 16.

Unless you get emancipated, you are still a minor, and your parents can haul you by your ear back home.

Okay. I see.

Then I was wrong,sorry about that. :-p
 
  • #128
╔(σ_σ)╝ said:
To whom does emancipation apply to ?


If it applies to children of all ages then my search should have turned up a different age.
I am pretty sure that minors of age 16 and up can apply for emancipation. Of course, once 18, they are legally adults.

I am having difficulty locating any references to emancipation in Ontario. There's sure a lot of questinos and guessing going on out there, but I wouldn't trust antyig but government or legal corporate sites.
 
  • #129
DaveC426913 said:
I am pretty sure that minors of age 16 and up can apply for emancipation. Of course, once 18, they are legally adults.

I am having difficulty locating any references to emancipation in Ontario. There's sure a lot of questinos and guessing going on out there, but I wouldn't trust antyig but government or legal corporate sites.
Yeah, I noticed that. Also went i typed in "legal age to move out in ontario" in the search engine it didn't mention emancipation.

Don't bother doing the research it is off-topic anyway besides it's too late to be thinking especially over the holiday.
 
  • #130
It's also off topic to the thread. A good time to end this.
 

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