A Michigan man is now being sued by his ex-wife after he read her e-mails and learned of her extramarital affair with her (allegedly abusive) ex-husband. Got that?
The prosecution argues that he “hacked” into her e-mail, basing the justification of the charges on a criminal statute that is typically used to prosecute governmental hackers.
He claims that he used the computer all the time and she kept her passwords in a little book next to the computer. Simple click-clack of the keys and he was in.
Harmless, right? I’m not sure.
In a marriage, we typically open our lives and blend most of everything for the purpose of creating a new family. We share finances, parenting styles, furniture, religious views, etc. Our lives are no longer just our own. Our actions have a ripple effect through our families.
Therefore I ask – if a husband suspects his wife of cheating, does he not have a right to find out, the quickest and most efficient way he can? That sounds a little to me like “probable cause,” a nifty little term I’ve learned watching Law & Order. True, infidelity isn’t a crime, but there are serious risks to health and financial stability if the wife brings home an STD or wants half of her husband’s assets in a divorce settlement.
What we’re looking at is a tug-of-war between “the right to privacy” and “the right to know.” And I’m not sure where the judge will land.
So BMWK family, we ask you: How much privacy should we expect in a family?
Tara Pringle Jefferson is a freelance writer, blogger and PR professional living in Ohio with her husband and two kids. She’s taking over the world, one blog post at a time, over at The Young Mommy Life (www.theyoungmommylife.com).