California’s law shows the limits of procedural protection
California’s current framework tries to identify coercion and pressure through interviews, written assessments, and court review. Those are not meaningless protections. But they are still procedural protections inside a system that permits under-18 marriage. For many advocates, that is the problem in one sentence.
Why the debate keeps returning
The question is not whether California has any safeguards. It does. The question is whether safeguards can adequately protect a minor who may already be isolated, ashamed, pregnant, dependent, or influenced by adults before the hearing ever occurs. That is why proposed reforms like AB 2924 continue to matter.
Related reading
Read the current-law article, the AB 2924 article, and our federal overview.