Magazine content is available exclusively for TIME subscribers.Law: Mate vs. Mate
Spouses can spat in court
One of the most durable judicial traditions has been that spouses should not be allowed to testify against each other in court. In ancient times the reasoning was that a married woman had no legal status separate from her husband's; more recently this "spousal privilege" has been justified as a measure to preserve marital harmony. But last week the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that in federal criminal cases a husband or wife may choose to testify against his or her mate.
Specifically, the court overturned the "Hawkins Rule," a 1958 decision that gave a spouse on trial the...
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