Florida’s Romeo and Juliet Law Offers Protection Some Other States Don’t

A recent article highlighted a disturbing case where an 18-year-old named Henry was sentenced to 6 years in prison for having consensual sex with a 16-year-old he met online. The story, included in sociologist Emily Horowitz’s new book From Rage to Reason, illustrates the severe consequences that strict statutory rape laws can have on young people’s lives. However, had this case happened in Florida, Henry likely would not have been prosecuted. That’s because Florida has a “Romeo and Juliet” law that provides protections for consensual sexual relationships between minors.

Florida’s law stipulates that consensual sex between a 16 or 17-year-old and a person 16-23 years old is not unlawful. So, if the 16-year-old Henry had sex with and met the age criteria in Florida’s law, he would not have been convicted of a felony offense.

Florida Offers More Protection for Teen Relationships

Florida’s Romeo and Juliet law demonstrates a more progressive approach to teen sex than the strict statutory rape laws in other states. By recognizing that consensual sexual relationships often occur between older and younger teens, the law aims to avoid harshly punishing one or both partners.

Other states should consider following Florida’s model. Teens like Henry should not have promising lives derailed over issues of poor judgment. With protective laws like Florida’s, we can avoid ruining young people’s futures.

Reform Requires Rethinking Punitive Approaches

Stories like Henry’s are tragic examples of how inflexible laws can produce unjust outcomes. Rather than blanket prosecutions, states must reconsider punitive enforcement that ignores typical teen development. With reasoned reform, we can enact policy that protects children without being unnecessarily harsh on adolescents.

Florida offers one alternative model for amending outdated sex crime statutes. However, change requires lawmakers nationwide to rethink ineffective laws. There are better solutions if we can find the wisdom and will to enact them.