Georgia man must pay $50k for breaking promise to marry

[Major Nikon]

71. He claimed that defense because that's how the law defines it

It has less to do with calling someone a whore and more to do with how cohabitation laws are written, some of which date back to much more puritanical times. The terms themselves don't necessarily mean what you think they mean.

Here is one example contained in GA's alimony law:

2010 Georgia Code
TITLE 19 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS
CHAPTER 6 - ALIMONY AND CHILD SUPPORT
ARTICLE 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
...
(b) Subsequent to a final judgment of divorce awarding periodic payment of alimony for the support of a spouse, the voluntary cohabitation of such former spouse with a third party in a meretricious relationship shall also be grounds to modify provisions made for periodic payments of permanent alimony for the support of the former spouse. As used in this subsection, the word "cohabitation" means dwelling together continuously and openly in a meretricious relationship with another person, regardless of the sex of the other person. In the event the petitioner does not prevail in the petition for modification on the ground set forth in this subsection, the petitioner shall be liable for reasonable attorney's fees incurred by the respondent for the defense of the action.

http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-19/chapter-6/article-1/19-6-19

Some other examples may be found here:

http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-34/chapter-9/article-1/34-9-13

http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-34/appendix-appendix/title-34-appx-bd-work-comp-r-13