It is illegal to become the parent of a second illegitimate child.

The Law

In a highly controversial and outdated moral statute, Mississippi law dictates that having a second child out of wedlock is a misdemeanor offense. Originally designed in the 1960s to enforce traditional family structures and reduce welfare dependency, the law is glaringly unconstitutional by modern standards. Although totally unenforceable today, it remains a dusty artifact in the state's penal code.