Marital Discord

• Author: Jonathan Black
• Pages: 16-18

SHUTTERSTOCK

On her TV show last summer, comedian Sama ntha Bee told the story of a teenage girl, Ca ssandra

Levesque, who learned about ch ild marriage laws at a Girl Scouts conference. Cassa ndra was upset

after discover ing that most states allow girls as young a s 13—and boys as young as 14—to be married

with the simple consent of a judge.

Cassandra promptly st arted work on a Scout project to craft legisl ation in her home state, New

Hampshire, that would rai se the minimum age to 18. State Rep. David Bates, a Republican , did not

appreciate her help. “We’re asking the legislature ... to rep eal a law that has been on the books for over a century, that

has been working without any d i cu lty, on the basis of the request from a mi nor who’s doing a Girl Scout project,”

the granite-ha ired legislator said. Bee screwed up her face in mock hor ror. “Yeah, what does she know? She’s just a

minor. She shouldn’t get to make a decision about something as impor tant as marriage!”

Marital Discord

Advocates are fi ghting to outlaw adult marriages to minors By Jonathan Black

National

Pulse

The Docket

EDITED BY KEVIN DAVIS / KEVIN.DAVIS@AMERICANBAR.ORG

16 || ABA JOURNAL JANUARY 2018