Title: Romeo and Juliet Laws: California's Statutory Rape Laws
1Romeo and Juliet Laws
Californias Statutory Rape Laws
2What Is a
Romeo and Juliet Law?
3Statutory rape laws are intended to punish
adults who engage in sexual conduct with minors
4In recent decades many states across the country
have re-written their statutory rape laws and/or
added a defense to address situations where the
individuals involved are close in age and the
sexual conduct was consensual even if not
legally consensual
5These new laws have come to be called Romeo and
Juliet laws after the star-crossed
Shakespearean lovers
6California does not have a Romeo and Juliet law
7History of Sexual Conduct
and Consent
8In the past, it was not uncommon for people to
marry much younger
91900 median age of marriage for a woman was 20
101900 median age of marriage for a woman was 20
2010 median age of marriage for a woman was 27
111900 median age of marriage for a woman was 20
2010 median age of marriage for a woman was 27
1900 median age of marriage for a man was 24
121900 median age of marriage for a woman was 20
2010 median age of marriage for a woman was 27
1900 median age of marriage for a man was 24
2010 median age of marriage for a man was 28.5
13 Many women under 20 were already married a
century ago
14Reasons for
Marrying Young
151900 a womans life expectancy was just under 50
years
161900 a womans life expectancy was just under 50
years
By 2000 womans life expectancy was over 80 years
17People didnt continue their education
People started working earlier
18Children were needed to help work family farm or
business
19Early marriage meant it was considered normal to
have sex at younger age
20Changing
Societal Norms
21Societal norms changed throughout 21st century
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23Age of majority applies to things like voting,
ability to enter into contracts, and consent to
sexual relations
24Age of
Consent
25Today age of consent ranges from 16 to 18 years
old
In California the age of consent is 18
26Anyone under the age of 18 is not legally able to
give consent to engage in sexual relations
27Not important that teenagers under the age of 18
do have sex willingly the law says they are
unable to give consent
28Sex without consent is a criminal offense
29Just to be clear, if you are over the age of 18
and you have sex with someone under the age of 18
you are committing a crime in California
30Severity of the offense depends on
31Offenses and
Penalties
32Sex with a minor who is not three years older or
younger than the perpetrator is a misdemeanor
33Sexual intercourse with a minor who is more than
three years younger than you is either a
misdemeanor or a felony punishable by up to a
year in jail or prison
34Sexual intercourse between a perpetrator 21 years
or older and a victim is under 16 years old is a
misdemeanor or felony punishable by up to four
years in prison
35If the victim is age 13 or younger, or the victim
is 14 or 15 and the perpetrator is at least ten
years older than the victim, the potential
penalties increase dramatically
36Civil penalties ranging from 2,000 to 25,000
may also be imposed
37Romeo and Juliet
Defense
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40Romeo and Juliet laws provide reduced penalties
or defense in these situations
41Defenses to
Statutory Rape Charge
42Although California does not have a Romeo and
Juliet law there are some defenses to a charge of
sex with a minor or statutory rape
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45Sex Offender
Registration
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48Know More About
Romeo and Juliet Law in California
49www.attorneylombardo.com
(619) 232-5122
50Content provided by Best Legal Practices
Content provided by Best Legal Practices