The Independent spoke to Tahirih Senior Counsel for Policy and Strategy, Jeanne Smoot, on how girls and young women continue to be at-risk for child marriage due to weak state laws. Despite bills being passed and two states that have legally ended underage marriage, there are still a handful of states with legal loopholes that continue to permit underage marriage.
The Independent quotes Smoot,
A clerk has what – sometimes less than a minute at a window to check that a form has been filled out…They’re not trained as social workers … They know civil laws, and the civil law in front of them says you can issue a marriage license if X, Y and Z criteria has been met.
Read more here.
