Incest occurs when two members of the same family indulge in sexual relationships. In some situations, it could be the father engaging in a sexual relation with the daughter. Incest is considered to be a crime in the US. It is classified as a felony and if an individual is caught of the crime, he/she can be convicted of a felony. However, the legalities involved in incest can leave a person with many unanswered questions. Given below are some such questions about incest that have been answered:

What is the law regarding incest in New York?
Incest is considered to be illegal in New York. According to section 255.25 of the law, €A person shall not be convicted of incest or attempt to commit incest solely upon the testimony of the other party unsupported by other evidence tending to establish that the defendant was a relative to the other party.€

What is the punishment for incest on a child?
Incest is considered to be a class 3 felony in most parts of United States. However, the severity of the punishment can depend on individual situations and the laws specific to the state where the crime was committed. The individual can be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail and get a fine of up to $25,000.

What laws does the state of California have for a marriage based on incest?
The laws regarding incest are given in the California family code 2200. This code states that, €Marriage between parents and children, ancestors and descendants, and between sisters and brothers half related or full blood, aunts and nephews, uncles and nieces, are considered incest, they are not allowed from the beginning whether it is legitimate or illegitimate.€ However, this section states that it may be legal for cousins to be married. In most states of USA, it may be illegal for first cousins to be married but legal for second cousins to be married.

What is the difference between incest laws in different parts of United States?
Every state of USA has its own laws regarding incest. Ohio states that it is illegal only to marry a parent. New Jersey may only penalize people for incest if anyone involved is less than 18 years of age. Incest carries a penalty of up to 20 years in the state of Massachusetts. People in Hawaii may be imprisoned for up to 5 years if they are involved in incest. All states of the US allow incest charges to be pressed on anyone who is involved in a sexual relationship with a blood relative like the mother, father, brother, sister, etc. In some states, sexual relations with non blood relatives like step parents, step brothers and sisters, etc. may also be considered incest.

Is it legal for a parent to donate a sperm to a child in the state of California?
Donating a sperm to a child in order to enable the child to be a parent may not be considered incest in California. However, this may not be encouraged due to medical reasons. This can cause the child to have phonotypical recessive genes which is a genetic disorder that can cause birth defects in the child.

An individual is married to a relative in the state of Florida. What is the statute of limitations to get a divorce in such a situation in the state?
There may be no statute of limitations in Florida in order to obtain a divorce on the basis of incest. The people involved may also apply for marriage annulment. This will make the marriage void. There is no statute of limitations on marriage annulment as well. A person may be able to annul a marriage on grounds of incest, fraud, lack of capacity, bigamy, impotence, etc.

Incest is considered to be a serious offense in almost all parts of the country. It can have serious legal implications. However, the laws governing this offense may vary from state to state. One may ask a family lawyer if one has any further questions regarding incest.