People v. Ezeonu
Supreme Court of New York
588 N.Y.S.2d 116 (1992)
Relevant factsFree
Already married, Ezeonu (defendant), a Nigerian national, claimed he had also taken a 13-year-old girl as a "junior wife" under Nigerian custom permitting polygamy, and argued that if this second marriage was valid, he could not be criminally liable for raping her; he was indicted for rape, and the court considered whether the foreign polygamous marriage provided a valid defense.
IssueFree
Whether a polygamous marriage legally consummated in a foreign country is considered invalid if it is against a statute or the public policy of a state.