Michael M. v. Superior Court

450 U.S. 464 (1981)

Facts

A 17 1/2-year-old boy had sexual intercourse with a girl 16 1/2 years old. Under California law, statutory rape can be committed only by men who have sex with females under 18 years old. Using a strict scrutiny standard of review, the California State Supreme Court upheld the law, assuring that the law advanced a compelling governmental interest in seeking to avoid exposing females to the substantial social and health risks associated with underage sex, such as: teenage pregnancy, abortion, and poverty incurred from single parenting. The Court asserted that males are not subjected to these problems. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed to uphold the state legislation.