Crime in Texas, Trial in Texas, Confession to Clergy in North Carolina: Which Law Applies?

By design, our American legal system largely lets different states make different rules. Most states recognize a tort of disclosure of private facts; some don't. A few recognize a tort of alienation of affections; most don't. Some states allow first-cousin marriage; others don't. Some set a one-year statute of limitations for defamation; some set it at two or three years. The list goes on. Much…