Have You Heard About Maine’s Little-Known ‘Romeo & Juliet Law’?

When you were a young, carefree teen growing up in Maine, did you ever date someone that was a few years older or younger than you?

Are you a parent that has teenagers that are in the love stage of their life?

If so, have you ever heard of the Romeo & Juliet Law?

Well, this law could be a game-changer for young couples in Maine. Why?

Because it's a law that’s also referred to as the “close-in-age exemption,” made to protect teens who are close in age from facing legal consequences for consensual relationships.

According to Maine Legal Group, the Romeo & Juliet law states,

“that if a person is less than five years older than a sexual partner aged 14 or 15, consensual sexual activity is lawful. So, a 19-year-old male engaging in consensual sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl is not liable for prosecution. However, if the accused is 20 years-old and the partner 14 years old, he may be prosecuted even if he believed her age was 16.”

The law allows that if one partner is 14 or 15, they can legally be in a relationship with someone up to 5 years older without facing statutory rape charges.

The law does not apply if one partner is under 14 years old or if the older partner is over 19 years old, as per the report, 

Without this law, teenagers could find themselves dealing with criminal charges and even being labeled as sex offenders, just for being in a consensual relationship.

The law sees that not all relationships with an age difference are harmful, and it allows young people to explore their relationships without the fear of extreme legal consequences.

But here’s the thing, this law isn’t a free pass for all teen relationships.

It’s a common misunderstanding that any relationship between a minor and someone slightly older is automatically safe.

Maine parents and teens should be aware of the detailed rules of these laws to make sure everyone understands the protections it offers.