If you watch the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” you know that incest is a thing. Brother and sister Jamie and Cersei Lannister conceived multiple children. There are other incestuous relationships as well. After a recent plot twist, Daenerys Targaryen is now Jon Snow’s aunt, but that did not seem to discourage the relationship. (I think they were related even before the plot twist).
This must have you thinking: What familial marriages are prohibited by law in the State of Minnesota?
I’m glad you asked.
The answer can be found in Minnesota Statutes Section 517.03. The portion of the statute relevant to this Game of Thrones discussion provides that the following marriages are prohibited:
“… a civil marriage between an ancestor and a descendant, or between siblings, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood or by adoption… and a civil marriage between an uncle or aunt and a niece or nephew, or between first cousins, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood.”
So, there you have it. In Minnesota, you can’t marry your sibling, aunt, uncle or first cousin. And, it doesn’t even matter if they are only your half sibling, aunt, uncle or first cousin. They are still off limits.
Second cousins, however, are fair game.
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