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What are the Romeo And Juliet Laws?
In this article, you’ll learn about:
Let’s dig in.
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In this section, you’ll learn about:
Romeo and Juliet laws are laws that provide certain protections to young couples.
In particular, those who engage in consensual sex when both participants are close in age.
These laws are named after the famous Shakespearean play.
They protect teenage couples from being unfairly charged with statutory rape.
Statutory rape is when an adult over the age of 18 has sexual contact with a minor.
Even if both parties have consented to the sexual conduct.
Romeo and Juliet laws prevent young couples from facing severe criminal charges.
Especially when they would get criminal charges simply because of their age.
Each state has its own variations of the law.
But typically Romeo and Juliet laws allow young couples to engage in sexual contact.
And without the fear of prosecution if the age difference is three years or less.
The Romeo and Juliet law applies to a wider age gap in some states.
In some states, couples can have sexual contact with an age gap of up to five years.
And they do so without fear of criminal prosecution.
These laws also provide protections for couples who are close in age but one partner is a minor.
The older partner may not be charged with a crime if the age difference is less than four years.
Romeo and Juliet laws do not legalize sexual activity between adults and minors.
There are still severe penalties for adults who engage in sexual contact with minors.
The laws are not intended to protect adults who are significantly older than their partners.
Romeo and Juliet laws protect young couples who are close in age from statutory rape charges.
These laws provide protections for young couples who engage in consensual sexual contact.
And they ensure that young couples are not unfairly punished for engaging in consensual sex.
Romeo and Juliet laws:
These laws only apply to two consenting minors who are close in age.
Romeo and Juliet laws are state laws that provide certain protections under criminal law.
But only for individuals who engage in consensual sexual activity with a minor.
However, these laws do not do everything.
We need to understand what these laws do and do not do.
This ensures that people are not taking advantage of the law.
Romeo and Juliet laws do not:
The Romeo and Juliet Law can be used to reduce or eliminate criminal penalties.
Especially for engaged or married couples in which one partner is below the legal age of consent.
It protects young people who are in a consensual relationship from facing criminal charges for:
In order to be eligible for the Romeo and Juliet Law, the couple must meet certain criteria:
This means that they both:
If these criteria are met, then the couple may be able to avoid criminal charges.
They will need to file a petition with the court.
The court will determine whether the couple can get exempted from the charges.
If the court agrees, then the couple will be able to avoid criminal charges.
The Romeo and Juliet Law does not provide a blanket exemption from all sex-related crimes.
So it is important to review all the case details before filing a petition.
Additionally, the Romeo and Juliet Law does not apply in all states.
So it is important to check the laws of the state where the couple resides before filing a petition.
Let’s say you are a minor facing criminal charges for having consensual sex with another minor.
You may be eligible for relief under the Romeo and Juliet Laws.
It is important to understand the process for filing a petition for the Romeo and Juliet Law.
These steps are an overview of the steps you should take to file a successful petition.
And to have your charges dropped or reduced.
The purpose of the Romeo and Juliet Laws is to provide certain protections to young people.
Those who engage in consensual sexual activity with other people who are close in age to them.
They protect young people from getting charged:
These laws serve to protect young people from being unfairly charged.
They provide an opportunity for young people to learn from their mistakes.
And without facing harsh criminal penalties.
Additionally, these laws recognize that young people often make mistakes.
And that the criminal justice system shouldn’t get used as a tool to punish them for mistakes.
These laws provide fairness to young adults who engage in consensual sexual activity.
Romeo and Juliet laws recognize that the two scenarios shouldn’t get treated the same:
Romeo and Juliet laws got named after the famous Shakespearean play.
This tells the story of two star-crossed lovers from feuding families.
The laws are designed to protect young people who have consensual sex.
But who are still technically violating the law.
Romeo and Juliet Laws:
These are the Romeo And Juliet Laws by state.
There are only 33 states that have Romeo And Juliet Laws.
In these states, the “offender” (the older person), gets reduced charges for:
But, you can still get jail time.
This table of Romeo and Juliet Laws by state shows us:
| State | Age Difference | Severity of Punishment |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Alaska | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Arizona | 2 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Arkansas | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| California | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Colorado | 4 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Connecticut | 2 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Delaware | N/A | N/A |
| Delaware | 4 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Florida | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Georgia | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Hawaii | 5 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Idaho | 3 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Illinois | 2 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Indiana | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Iowa | 4 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Kansas | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Kentucky | 5 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Louisiana | 3 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Maine | 5 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Maryland | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Massachusetts | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Michigan | 4 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Minnesota | 2 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Mississippi | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Missouri | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Montana | 2 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Nebraska | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Nevada | 4 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| New Hampshire | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| New Jersey | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| New Mexico | 4 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| New York | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| North Carolina | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| North Dakota | 3 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Ohio | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Oklahoma | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Oregon | 3 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Pennsylvania | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Rhode Island | 5 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| South Carolina | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| South Dakota | 4 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Tennessee | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Texas | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Utah | 3 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Vermont | 5 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Virginia | 3 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Washington | 3 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| West Virginia | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
| Wisconsin | 3 years | Up to 6 months in jail |
| Wyoming | 4 years | Up to 1 year in jail |
If it’s “N/A,” then that state does not have any Romeo And Juliet Laws that protect you.
The age of consent is the legal age at which an individual is allowed to engage in sexual activity.
Here are some key points to consider when determining the age of consent:
Let’s say you are facing charges involving a Romeo and Juliet law.
It’s important to know that there are defenses available.
These laws protect young people close in age from getting charged with certain sex crimes.
These laws make sure that young people who have consensual sex are not labeled as criminals.
Common defenses against criminal charges here are:
The Romeo and Juliet laws vary by state.
They only apply to consensual relationships between minors who are close in age.
Usually, this is when the minors are within three years of each other.
The relationship must not have involved:
Prosecutors can prove the relationship got forced or coerced by presenting evidence of:
They may also present evidence of:
Criminal defense attorneys need to prove there was not any sexual activity.
This could include:
Communication evidence could include:
Corroborating evidence could include:
Let’s look at some examples of force or coercion.
For threats, examples are threatening to:
For intimidation, examples are:
For manipulation, examples are:
For coercion, examples are:
The criminal charges that Romeo And Juliet Laws can protect you from are:
With any of these, you could be facing:
It depends on what state you live in.
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We know how to apply the penal code of these laws to protect you.
Keep reading to learn more.
Statutory rape charges involving minors:
It refers to any sexual contact between an adult who is at least three years older than the minor.
And a minor who is below the age of consent in your state.
This could be an 18-year-old having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old, for example.
Statutory rape is usually considered a felony crime.
And the penalties for statutory rape can vary depending on the state.
Remember that it involves sexual activity with a person who is legally unaware to consent.
These laws provide:
But the protections only take effect if both parties:
In some cases, a defendant may still face criminal charges.
But they would be subject to less harsh penalties.
This is compared to those who commit other types of sexual activity with a minor.
Minors and parents need to understand their local laws.
For statutory rape, penalties can include:
Sex crimes with minors:
The age of consent is a determining factor for sexual misconduct between adults and minors.
The Romeo & Juliet laws provide an affirmative defense to prosecution in certain cases.
Let’s say that two people are close in age.
And the minor is not more than a certain number of years younger than the adult.
The adult may not get prosecuted for certain sexual offenses.
But, even in states with Romeo & Juliet laws, any sexual activity with minors is still illegal.
And they can still result in criminal charges.
So, it is important to be aware of the laws in your state.
As the consequences of a sex crime conviction with a minor can be severe.
Sexual assault is any sexual contact or behavior occurring without explicit consent.
This includes any other form of sexual activity to which one has not consented, like:
Examples of sexual assault include:
The legal consequences of a sexual relationship between two minors can be severe.
A minor can get charged with sexual assault depending on the:
Let’s say an 18-year-old is with a 15-year-old.
Or that a 16-year-old is with a 14-year-old or 13-year-old.
In either case, the older person could get charged with sexual assault.
This could land the person with:
This is why states have passed Romeo and Juliet Laws.
They protect minors who are close in age from criminal charges.
Besides criminal charges, the “sexual offender” could also:
Sexual exploitation is any sexual activity that exploits a minor.
Usually, for the sexual gratification of an adult.
This can include things like:
It is typically a felony crime, and the penalties can vary depending on the circumstances.
Sexual exploitation charges involving minors get taken very seriously.
Sexual exploitation involved taking advantage of a minor from:
Romeo and Juliet laws protect older minors from sexual exploitation charges.
But they do not provide protection if there is evidence of coercion or force.
Depending on the severity of the offense, someone could face:
Getting barred means you’re not allowed to do things like:
Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a criminal charge.
It applies to older minors or adults.
You’ll get charged if you engage in activities with a minor that get considered:
You could face:
The charges can get used to enhance other criminal charges such as:
Lewd and lascivious conduct describes sexual contact between people that is:
It can include activities such as
Lewd and lascivious conduct with minors carries heavy legal penalties.
Romeo and Juliet laws:
For lewd or lascivious acts, penalties can range from:
Indecency with a child is a charge that applies to any sexual contact or communication.
This can include:
This charge is a serious criminal offense and may result in:
Romeo and Juliet laws can reduce the charges to a misdemeanor.
Sex offender registration is a legal rule for those convicted of sex offenses.
These individuals will get ordered to register as sex offenders.
This is a consequence that can have long-lasting repercussions on their lives.
Registration as a sex offender often carries social stigma and restrictions on:
It is crucial for those accused of a sex offense involving a minor to understand their legal rights.
And the potential consequences of their actions.
If you are facing sex crime charges, fill out the form on this page to talk to us today.
Our criminal defense attorneys have the experience you need to defend your rights.
This way, you don’t:
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