So you can marry at 15 in Missouri but can't consummate the marriage until 17?

Fascinating.

It does seem like an oxymoron...

Some (all?) states have verbiage in their Criminal Code that allows marriage as a defense for the offense. Since they are remnants from the puritan days.

Here is Missouri's:
http://www.moga.mo.gov/mostatutes/stathtml/56600000232.html

Which is truly interesting, because it means that while a 15 / 16 year old is not mature enough to make a major decision like to engage in voluntary sexual conduct they are, with parental permission (does that make a pimp and madam out of mom and dad?), deemed mature enough to make a monumental decision like getting married, at which point sexual activity is more or less a requirement.

It is also interesting that the marriage must become before the act, so forcing the young man to marry his pregnant girlfriend, as I am sure the intent here is, does not negate criminal liability.

reminds me a of a story my mother told me years ago. she was 18, legal to get married in NY. she married and had her first child at the age of 19. when she had to take my oldest brother, then a baby to the hospital. she found out that she couldn't legally sign for medical care for her own son. she had to get a hold of 'her' father to come to the hospital to sign for the medical care for his grandson.

Missouri's Marriage Law

Issuance of license prohibited, when--parental consent, whenrequired.
451.090. 1. No recorder shall, in any event except as herein provided, issue a license authorizing the marriage of any person under fifteen years of age; provided, however, that such license may be issued on order of a circuit or associate circuit judge of the county in which the license is applied for, such license being issued only for good cause shown and by reason of such unusual conditions as to make such marriage advisable.

2. No recorder shall issue a license authorizing the marriage of any male under the age of eighteen years or of any female under the age of eighteen years, except with the consent of his or her custodial parent or guardian, which consent shall be given at the time, in writing, stating the residence of the person giving such consent, signed and sworn to before an officer authorized to administer oaths.

3. The recorder shall state in every license whether the parties applying for same, one or either or both of them, are of age, or whether the male is under the age of eighteen years or the female under the age of eighteen years, and if the male is under the age of eighteen years or the female is under the age of eighteen years, the name of the custodial parent or guardian consenting to such marriage.

(RSMo 1939 § 3370, A.L. 1974 2d Ex. Sess. H.B. 11, A.L. 1978 H.B. 1634, A.L. 1993 S.B. 180)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 2983; 1919 § 7308; 1909 § 8289

I've wondered about this. My grandparents were married in Missouri when my grandma was 15 and my grandpa was 22. Of course this would have been in 1937.

I'm pretty sure you can consummate the marriage in all states if it is legal to marry. It is fascinating though that you can be adult enough to make the decision with the help of your parents to get married at ages that would constitute statutory rape if not married.

funny my ex wife grandparents was 13 and 22 back then it was ok now he would be in prison also does anyone remember the movie weird science with Kelly lebrock? well in it she had sex with a 15yr but then again this was back in the 1980's when coming of age movies was at its peak. how come when this movie came out no one was screaming "for the children"? makes you think.......

LOL Firecracker, cause at least I was, THE CHILDREN! LOL I remember all those movies... Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day off, Fast times at Ridgemont high, The Lost Boys, Risky Business, Some kind of Wonderful, Say Anything, Just one of the Guys, Real Genius, Heathers, All the Right moves, The Sure Thing, the list seems never ending...

Now they just make all those in to TV programming... Vampire Diaries... anything that is on MTV...

Why aren't they screaming about that massively popular show, she was screwing a 150 old vampire... you would think that the age gap alone woudl warrant some looks. right?!? LOL

The other night I was watching Transformers - Age of Extinction. About mid way though one male character (playing a 20 year old) began promoting sex with the female character (playing a 17 year old) on the basis that they were protected by the Romeo & Juliet law so it was fine for them to have sex even though the female character's "dad" character protested against such happening.

Now granted in most states 17 years old is legal age to consent to sex, but in this movie they were actually promoting sex between a 20 year old and a 17 year old because of the Romeo & Juliet law -- and how many children and teens watch(ed) this movie?????