Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-22
Ninth Of q Series.


Gratis Of New York State charged
in 1947 that the true situation
was one of fraud, make-believe
and easy divorce in which the
bench, the bar. and the public
have been open-eyed particle
pants" The committee added,
"For those who are willing to
bear the stigma of adultery in q
judicial record. divorces in New
York are easier, less expensive.
and more binding than those
in Nevada"
One need only visit the un-
contested matrimonial branches
of the State Supreme Court,
which has divorce jurisdiction,
to see the system in action. A
case may take as little as ten
minutes. Witnesses are produced
to testify that they found the
defendant in q compromising
situation. Stock questions are
asked and answered. More than
likely the defendant Is not even
present.
II in . Morning.
AS many as II divorces are
thus ground out in q single
morning in one courtroom. An
estimated SO per cent OF al
divorce actions in the State 60
through this uncontested pro-
cedure.
"Talk of easing up divorce Il
ridiculous" one lawyer COM
mented. Divorce couldn't bt
easier than it is"
In 1913 the New York County
District Attorney turned up
cash-and-carry divorce rinl
which supplied witnesses, faket
raids on hotel rooms. and ever
provided the unknown woman
| to be found with the defendant
The courts have held that TIT
opportunity to commit adulter!
and ian adulterous disposition
are sufficient.
In the "set-up job" as it wa
called, a bogus raid was actual!
staged with the unknown woman
providing the legal evidenc'
even though no improper &C
took place. In the "teStimon!
job" for a smaller charge. Their
wasn't any raid at all: witnesse
simply made up their stories GU
of whole cloth. s.s eae \
The ring was discovered whel
lone of it's unknown women,
even though she was kept bus
hopping from hotel to hote
became diSgruntled because ne
cut in the profits was too small
All she got was eight to tel
dollars per divorce, she com
planned.
In New York and California
annulment often is chosen as
preferred way Of Severing tn
marriage tie. In California di
vorced person cannot remarr
for one year, but after an annul
ment one can remarry at once
making the annulment rout
attractive for those in a hurry
In New York annulment is cho
sen as a way of avoiding tn
stigma of adultery, actual Q
fabricated.
Stretch Annulment Theory.
The theory behind annulmen
is that a valid marriage did nc
occur in the first place. But tn
theory has been stretched t
include, in New York State, Is
various kinds of fraudulent rep
reservations on the part OF tn
bride or groom.
A wife can say her husban
promised to raise a family an
now doesn't want children-an
get an annulment. Or she ca
say he promised she would nevt
have to work again and no
wants her to work. Even refus'
to send children to Sunds
school, when this was promise
before marriage, has been he
adequate grounds.
In one classic case a man VIC
an annulment on the grour
that his wife had repreSentt
| to him that spirits from Il
other world" had ordered the
marriage. Other husbands ha'
charged their wives with breal
| ing promises to set them up
business or pay their WI
through college-and this. to
| won them annulments.
II New York from 1910 to -
averaged 1000 annulments