Marriage Now Outlawed for Those Under Age 16
Those younger than 16 will no longer be allowed to marry in the state.
Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, signed legislation in Atlanta that closes a loophole that allowed couples of any age to get married without parental consent in the case of a pregnancy.
The legislation was prompted by the case of Lisa Lynnette Clark, a pregnant 37-year-old who married a 15-year-old boy last year. Clark, who later gave birth to a son, pleaded guilty last month to statutory rape for having sex with the 15-year-old, a friend of her teenage son.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
