Under Mississippi law, which type of marriage is considered void?

Under Mississippi law, a marriage between cousins is considered void. This is primarily due to laws regarding consanguinity, which dictate that marriages between close relatives are prohibited to prevent genetic problems in offspring and uphold social norms surrounding family relationships. Mississippi specifically restricts marriages between first cousins and closer relatives. Marriages that fall within these defined degrees of relationship are automatically void, meaning they are null from the outset and have no legal standing.

In contrast, the other options do not carry the same automatic void status. For instance, a marriage with a spouse who is physically absent may still be valid if it meets other legal requirements. Similarly, a marriage to a person with a criminal record does not make the marriage itself void; it may have implications for other legal matters, but does not affect the validity of the marriage. Lastly, a marriage involving financial fraud could lead to annulment or other legal consequences but does not render the marriage void from the beginning. Thus, the restriction on cousin marriages illustrates a clear statutory prohibition that defines certain unions as void under Mississippi law.