In most States girls as young as 14 can be married under parental consent. In Massachusetts a girl w/ parental consent can marry as young as 12 years old.
So my question is this: Should parental consent marriage laws all over the US be overturned?
As I understand it Jeff’s did have parental consent. This could all turn on if he was legally married to the girls at the time of consummation. If he was legally married (after legally divorcing the prior wife) under they rule of State law could he still be prosecuted?
So you support child rape?
And ps, check the Texas laws as to age of consent. This happened in Texas, not some other state.
“As I understand it Jeff’s did have parental consent. This could all turn on if he was legally married to the girls at the time of consummation.”
They were probably “spiritual” marriages rather than anything legal. I agree though, 14 was not all that unusual a century or more ago particularly where economic necessity required it, although the average was still around 20, but I don’t think today’s young people have the maturity or common sense they had back then, necessity or not. With that said, an old dude messing with girls that young just ain’t right. Course, if the guy were a muslim, he would probably not be in court now.
Parents can’t consent to marriage under 14, must have a judge’s order, and certainly can’t consent to polygamy.