Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 16
Sinema Fights North Carolina Affair Suit as 6 States Still Allow Alienation Claims
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 16

Sinema Fights North Carolina Affair Suit as 6 States Still Allow Alienation Claims

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 16

Summary

  • An Aug. 19 evidentiary hearing will test Kyrsten Sinema’s bid to throw out Heather Ammel’s alienation-of-affection lawsuit over Sinema’s admitted affair with Matthew Ammel.
  • Sinema’s core argument is jurisdictional: she says none of the sexual encounters occurred in North Carolina, instead describing meetings in California, New York, Washington, Arizona and Colorado.
  • Heather Ammel’s claim turns on whether North Carolina courts can hear the case because the marriage and alleged injury were centered there, even if the affair itself unfolded elsewhere.
  • Only 6 states still recognize alienation-of-affection suits after 42 abolished the tort, leaving the case to probe whether the old 'heart balm' claim remains viable and constitutional.

Insights

Could a rare state law force a former high-profile official to pay thousands for a secret romance?
Will encrypted messages from a cross-country affair bypass state jurisdiction in this explosive lawsuit?