US judges rule girls can marry at age 12

Old news??? Dated Sat 17 Jun 2006 by the site you linked to.

Probably urban legend IMHO!

The minimum-age for marrage is 18 in all but a few states.

Although there may be a few legal exceptions.


Personally I think the minimum age should be 50.

Although dating would be permissable around 35.

Rob

 

Good way to drastically deplete the population, assuming there are no pre-marital relations. I am assuming you have daughters?

 

We went through the same thing here recently. I has simply revealed a loophole that needs to be sorted. The title of the OP made it sound like some judge had ruled that 12 year olds can marry, which is not the case.

 

Now that makes sense in a country with a supposedly Christian and civilized background.

Made me think of a tribe in the Philippines, where brides could be as young as 12, bethrothed to the chief (and only the chief), at age ten. Only way out for the girl is if the chief frees them from the oath, or if he dies.

 

You must have a daughter

 

That's not quite true. Few states require you to be 18, if you have parental consent. Parental consent is usually set at the same age as the age of consent for sexual relations, which varies from state to state.

However, if a girl is pregnant (or some other reason that a judge deems fit, I know not what it would be), a judge can let her marry without parental consent, or even below that legal age.

A minor that has been declared emancipated may marry without parental consent, as well.

 

The title of the OP made it sound like some judge had ruled that 12 year olds can marry,

Roger - I thought that was what was meant when I read the title .

 

Why are we depending on law to do what parents should be doing?

 

Oy, I've got three. Vat vas I tinking. :smilewinkgrin:

Rob

 

"Why don't you just have a seat right over there, and tell me why a 38 year old man is coming by to spend time with a 12-year-old girl."

Seriously, it is OLD news and it IS NOT an urban legend.

 

BTW, this case resulted in a new law here. From Wikipedia:

Effective September 1, 2006, Colorado no longer recognizes common law marriages, regardless of where the marriage was entered into, where the parties are not both eighteen years of age or older. Colorado Revised Statutes, Sections 14-2-104 and 14-2-109.5. Common law marriages entered into before 9-1-06 are still legally valid (Sections 14-2-104(3),14-2-109.5 CRS). The new law which became effective 9-1-06 states that you must be at least 18 years old to enter into a common law marriage.

 

The link you posted stated that two states require you to be 19 or 21, which I found difficult to swallow since at 18, you may enter into a legally binding contract.
So, I did a search and came up with one from Cornell that does say you have to be 21 in Puerto Rico (good thing I married my wife in Tennessee, since she was only 19), but every other state except for Mississippi requires you to be 18. Mississippi requires you to be 17 if you're male, or 15 if you're female, without parental consent. With parental consent, the range was 12 at the lower end to 18 at the upper end, which is the same age as without parental consent.

Here's that link: State Marriage Statutes According to Cornell

This lines up much more with the paperwork that I was given to perform marriages, although I've never performed a marriage for a minor, and probably would not under any normal circumstances.

OK, I have to edit: In looking back over it, there is at least one state that has no minimum age with parental consent. So, 12 is not the lowest age range.

Oh, and unless the laws have changed in the last few years, first cousins can marry in 13 states.

 

So they fixed the loophole. Instead of some new ruling permitting 12 year old girls to marry people saw the need to fix a broken law and did it. This is a good news story!

 

I think this demonstrates why common law marriages are not accepted in many places; too many people going around the rules by using the common law argument.

 

I got .357 reasons why no 38 year old man is gonna marry my 12 year old daughter.:tonofbricks:




Lacy

 

I agree.
BUt when parents are overwhelmingly derelict, expect stuff like this