Before the Law

Interesting discussion (RealAudio) on Chicago Public Radio's Odyssey about how citizens and law enforcers negotiate the interstices between official on-the-books legal rules with social norms and personal discretion.

Among the interesting anecdotes offered: Before no-fault divorce, couples wanting to split up would sometimes come up with… creative solutions. A husband might hire a prostitute and have himself photographed sitting on a bed with her, then pass the photos on to his wife to be offered as evidence of adultery, which the law did recognize as grounds for divorce.