Re: Texas Polygamists--sf in real life?

In article <fulvcj$rmo$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
 nospam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (Paul Ciszek) wrote:

> In article <ddfr-0DF51C.21363021042008@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> David Friedman  <ddfr@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >> 
> >> It's really quite simple:  If you see a pregnant 15 year old, or a
> >> 16 year old nursing mother, statutory rape has occured.
> >
> >That depends both on the state (or nation) and on marital status.
Canada 
> >raised the age limit on *** to sixteen this year; before that it had 
> >never been higher than fourteen. I believe the Texas limit on marriage 
> >is sixteen (with parental consent), so a sixteen year old nursing
mother 
> >could be entirely legal. 
> >
> >Age of consent to marry (with parent's permission) appears to be 13 
> >(female) and 14 (male) in New Hamp****re, 14 in Alabama and South 
> >Carolina, 15 in Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,  ...
> 
> The state in question is Texas.

Possibly. Some of the couples might have been married in a state with a 
lower age limit and then moved to Texas. But in any case, the comment I 
was responding to didn't say anything about Texas--and as a general 
statement it's wildly false. 

Also, it doesn't seem to be an offense in Texas, if I correctly read the 
law, if the man is no more than three years older (and didn't use 
duress, and ...).

Further, as I understand the situation, the age for marriage with 
parental consent was raised in Texas from 14 to 16 in 2005. Someone who 
got married at 14 early in 2005 could be 17 now, have two children, and 
be entirely legal. 


> >"Escapees" suggests that they were being kept in by force. Is there any

> >evidence of that?
> 
> Only the testimony of the escapees:
> 
> http://helpthechildbrides.com/stories/fawns/mestrib-01-15-04.htm

Which has nothing at all about their being kept in by force, despite the 
rhetoric of escaping. The closest it comes to that is the suggestion 
that the girls are afraid that if they come forth, law enforcement 
officials will return them to their families. There's also a "she could 
face charges of kidnapping" statement, but no account of such charges 
actually being made.

-- 
 http://www.daviddfriedman.com/
http://daviddfriedman.blogspot.com/
 Author of _Harald_, a fantasy without magic.
 Published by Baen, paperback in bookstores now