Woman Sued for Cheating, Ordered to Pay $9 Million
Posted By Ellerin Hutchinson on Mar 24, 2010 11:05am PDT
Most people who engage in extramarital affairs have some idea in the back of their mind that things could end badly. But it’s safe to say that for one New York woman, things ended worse than she could’ve ever imagined.
Anne Lundquist, 49, was ordered to pay $9 million to Cynthia Shackelford under a law called “Alienation of Affection.” This law basically gives people the right to sue the man or woman they feel is responsible for breaking up their marriage. And believe it or not this law, which dates back to centuries’ old common law, is still enforceable in seven states.
Shackelford claims her marriage ended because of her husband Allen’s affair with Lundquist. Some ask why not address the issue with the man that took the vows to be faithful, but Shackelford feels Lundquist intentionally tried to break up the marriage.
“She's the one that came in between us as far as her luring ways, and which I had plenty of proof from e-mails, phone records, spending, that she alienated him from me. She used work and other ways to get in and get friendly with him."
Allen Shackelford says their marriage didn’t fail because of Lundquist, and that they had problems long before she even came into the picture. According to Allen, Cynthia mentioned filing for divorce two years before his relationship with Lundquist began.
Nevertheless, Shackelford’s claim held up. Lundquist was ordered to pay $5 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages.
Shackelford doesn’t expect Lundquist to pay, but she that’s not why she took the case to court. Shackelford wanted to send a message to people involved in affairs with married men and women that their behavior is not okay.
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