Court: 15-year-old girls can marry

[Nevada_MO_Guy]

DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- A 15-year-old girl can enter into a common-law marriage in Colorado, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. Younger girls and boys may also be able to marry.

While the three-judge panel stopped short of setting a specific minimum age for such marriages, it said they could be legal for girls at 12 and boys at 14 under English common law, which Colorado recognizes.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/06/15/teen.marriage.ap.ap/index.html

What the

 

[Hand Sword]

:erg:

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Yes, and I'd like to see the man who tried to "marry" one of my underage nieces. :flame:

 

[Hand Sword]

Right on Brother !!!

 

[MA-Caver]

This is basically the same law we have here in Utah (unless I'm mistaken it might be allowed at 16 or 14) but either way it's with parental permission.

While I would be adamantly against such actions it would have to be an extreme circumstance that I'd allow it (if I had a daughter). That she's pregnant and that the male is going to take full responsiblity and be capable of caring for both her and the baby. Now if the male is one who would be construde as far too old, well he'd better be able to dodge bullets better than Neo and run faster than Flash. But if it were a young (man) of say the same age or a couple years older, then he'd gonna have to work really hard to convince me (and her mother) that he's going to stick it out all the way.

It's definitely a sticky but accidents happen and kids are going to be prone to weaknesses and thus unmindful of the consenquences of letting their hormones take control for a couple of hours.
I think that marriage under those circumstances would be much more preferable than being an unwed/underaged mother and not realizing the full brunt of the responsibility that's due to the child they're bringing into this world. It'll be a powerful lesson for the BOTH of them. The girl and the father of the baby.

However; for a girl that young who'll say they "want to get married because I love him and he loves me! " ... uhh honey, if you really rilly love the guy and if he loves you ... you'll wait three or four years, because if the love is that strong then it'll bear the wait.

Nuff said.

 

[michaeledward]

The Colorado Legislature has not passed a law creating a minimum age for marriage between citizens of the state. The Colorado high courts, having no law available to them on which to rule, deferred to English Common Law, which comes from an established time in history where age was not the cultural barrier it is today.

I believe the State of New Hampshire has a minimum marriage age law; 14 years of age.

The courts interpreted the laws they have (or in this case, don't have) in front of them. It is the correct decision, even if it goes against the sensibilities of some.

 

[matt.m]

No, I agree that the courts under normal circumstance will look at rulings of prior cases to help be consistent with future rulings that it make. The fact is that this is an obscure thing to consider so that is why they had to go to English Common Law.

 

[terryl965]

Well back in the older day at the age of 16 you where consider a wind bag! But in today civilized world 15 is just to young for anybody child to know what they really want in a man.
Terry

 

[Swordlady]

WHAT THE...?! Anyone else catch the ages of the couple in question:

The ruling overturned a lower-court judge's decision that a girl, who is now older than 18, was too young to marry when she was 15.

The appeal was filed by Willis Rouse, 38, who is serving time for escape and a parole violation. He argued that he and the girl began living together in April 2002 and applied for a marriage license a year later. The girl had become legally independent by then, but her mother also consented to the marriage and accompanied the girl and Rouse to obtain a license, the ruling said.


A judge invalidated the marriage, saying anybody under age 16 needed judicial approval for either common-law or ceremonial marriage.


While Thursday's ruling found that the girl was old enough to marry, it did not conclude whether she and Rouse have a valid marriage. The court sent the case back to the trial judge to make that determination.

A 34-year-old man was living with a girl who was 15 years old. On top of that, he has a police record. And the girl's mother actually consented to the marriage? Something is REALLY wrong with this picture. Enough said.

No 14 or 15 year old nowadays is ready for marriage. Period. How is the couple going to support themselves? What kind of jobs can they get, besides flipping burgers? And without a high school diploma.

I'm really not understanding the rational behind this new law. All of this is very disturbing.

 

[Jade Tigress]

No 14 or 15 year old nowadays is ready for marriage. Period.

I'm really not understanding the rational behind this new law. All of this is very disturbing.

It is very disturbing. I can't understand it either. We're talking children here. It boggles my mind....

 

[hapki68]

Anyone wonder why girls are ready at 12 and boys at 14? What's the logic behind that?

 

[MJS]

Mod Note

Thread moved to The Study.

MJS
MT Supermod

 

[Drac]

Yes, and I'd like to see the man who tried to "marry" one of my underage nieces. :flame:

Amen...

 

[Nevada_MO_Guy]

If children can be recognized, by law, as a married couple at such a young age, are they still considered a minor under parental control?

Yes, and I'd like to see the man who tried to "marry" one of my underage nieces. :flame:

Excellent point. But who determines if someone is underage.....the parent or the government?

However; for a girl that young who'll say they "want to get married because I love him and he loves me! "

Exactly. What if the kids want to be together, from what the article said, for common law marriage...it didn't seem like parental permission was necessary??? How the heck would that work?

WHAT THE...?! Anyone else catch the ages of the couple in question:

Yep, that is almost like a 2:1 ratio.

Anyone wonder why girls are ready at 12 and boys at 14? What's the logic behind that?

They law must have thought that boys at 12, might just not be mature enough for the responsibility of marriage. :idunno:

Mod Note

Thread moved to The Study.

MJS
MT Supermod

Thanks for that, wasn't sure if I started it in the right place.

 

[Ceicei]

Under the time of "Old English Law", what was the average life span back then for a person? I think that boys were considered as men at either 12/14 when their voices changed and girls considered as women once their periods started. The societal life styles were very different back then too--the role of the females and males were very clearly defined.

We live in a very different world now. We aren't defined by when our bodies changed, but rather by chronological age. We aren't bound *as much* by expectations of the gender roles any more.

- Ceicei

 

[Kacey]

I read the entire article, yes - and I really have questions about all 3 people involved - the mother for consenting, the husband, for having started such a relationship, and the girl, for accepting it. The age difference bothers me as much, if not more than, the actual ruling on age.

As has been noted by several people, when the expected life span was shorter, people married earlier because they had to; it is neither necessary nor appropriate to do so today in first world countries, although different rules apply in second and third wolrd countries. The age difference was also common in many societies - men married in their 30s, after they had proven themselves able to provide for a wife, and women married in their teens, when they were young and resilient enough to bear and raise children. However, that is not particularly appropriate, in my opinion, to the society in which this occurred, and the gap in the law that allowed it needs to be addressed and changed, for the benefit of all involved - including common-law marriage, which was originally intended for the benefit of those who had no access to a priest who could marry them, and generally required that an actual marriage occur as soon as possible.

 

[michaeledward]

We live in a very different world now. We aren't defined by when our bodies changed, but rather by chronological age. We aren't bound *as much* by expectations of the gender roles any more.

I will again, point out that the legislature in the State of Colorado has not 'defined' when a female can marry; nor a male, for that matter. Without that legal guidance, the Court had no choice but to act as they did.

Those objecting here, are bringing forth their personal subjective opinions as based in the cultural system of the United States. 'Subjective cultural opinions' do not carry the weight of law, nor should they.

I suppose the legislature of Colorado will take action on this issue. If they don't, they are the correct target of the people's ire.

Without a law so defined, this is a different angle on the Terri Schiavo controversy ... 'does the state have a compelling interest' in this topic? Without a law, they don't.

 

[shesulsa]

Anyone think this might be tied to Jeffries and his polygamist cult?

 

[Marginal]

DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- A 15-year-old girl can enter into a common-law marriage in Colorado, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. Younger girls and boys may also be able to marry.

While the three-judge panel stopped short of setting a specific minimum age for such marriages, it said they could be legal for girls at 12 and boys at 14 under English common law, which Colorado recognizes.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/06/15/teen.marriage.ap.ap/index.html

What the

Finally, the institution of marriage is being returned to its proper historical roots. Now the world will be back on track.

 

[Cryozombie]

No 14 or 15 year old nowadays is ready for marriage. Period.

I'd go so far as to say most young adults in their early 20's arent either... but that's a whole other thread...

Somtimes I think we in this country are too hung up on the concepts of age... but somtimes, I wonder why we are alowed to roam unsupervised before we are 50.