After keeping us waiting for months, the Idaho Supreme Court finally announced its decision yesterday in Carver v. Hornish, the child-marriage case — and its decision was not to make a decision. The court declined to rule on the constitutionality of child marriage.
Also deeply disappointing: The court ruled against the plaintiff, Erin Carver, who was trying to undo a grave injustice. Her ex-husband paid a stranger to marry their then-16-year-old daughter so the girl would be emancipated and he could bypass the courts regarding custody and child support.
This is a reminder of the urgency of our relentless campaign to end child marriage in the United States. Please donate now to help us win this fight in every U.S. state.
Back in February, Idaho Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments in the case, which highlighted one of the horrors of child marriage — the ease with which parents can marry off their teen for selfish reasons and leave the teen trapped in a legal nightmare.
Several state and national media outlets covered the case, including The Daily Beast, The Associated Press and the Idaho Post Register.
Learn more about child marriage in the U.S. and our work to end it.
