Alan Dershowitz fired off a series of tweets on Monday defending an old column he wrote that suggested lowering the age of consent to 15.
Dershowitz argued in the 1997 Los Angeles Times piece that “puberty is apparently arriving earlier, particularly among some ethnic groups.” And, he said, “based on demographic criteria,” the age of consent should be lowered:
“It certainly should not be as high as 17 or 16. Reasonable people can disagree over whether it should be as low as 14. Fifteen would seem like an appropriate compromise.”
The comments resurfaced on Monday in a New Yorker profile. Despite the ensuing outcry, the Harvard law professor and frequent Fox News guest didn’t back down:
I stand by the constitutional (not moral) argument I offered in my controversial oped: if a 16 year old has the constitutional right to have an abortion without state or parental interference, how could she not have the constitutional right to engage in consensual sex? 1/ https://t.co/48Thb8Uaym
— Alan Dershowitz (@AlanDersh) July 29, 2019
I challenge my readers to distinguish the cases, as a matter of constitutional law. I did not suggest that it is moral to have sex with a 16 year old, but rather that the issue presents a constitutional conundrum worthy of discussion. 2/
— Alan Dershowitz (@AlanDersh) July 29, 2019
I also pointed out that, statutory rape laws are applied quite selectively and often against young teenagers. That’s why I also say there are Romeo and Juliet exceptions. Lets debate not name call. End/
— Alan Dershowitz (@AlanDersh) July 29, 2019
The tweets caused Dershowitz’s name to trend as well as a variation on it: #CreepyDershowitz:
80 year old Alan Dershowitz wants us to know that having sex with 16 year olds should be very legal and cool.
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) July 30, 2019
Why is @AlanDersh trying to lower the age of consent in this op-ed? 15? Really? https://t.co/K8LyEho50X
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) July 29, 2019
The right for a minor to obtain abortion w/o parental or state involvement protects her from undue burden — abuse and/or delay/being forced to give birth. This is consistent with idea that the pregnancy resulting from sex to which she could not consent should not be forced on her
— Jennifer Taub (@jentaub) July 30, 2019
Please do not get #CreepyDershowitz to trend.
— andy lassner (@andylassner) July 30, 2019
Do not use this hashtag.
Thank you.
I will definitely not use the #CreepyDershowitz hashtag. Thanks for the warning about the #CreepyDershowitz hashtags.
— The Guy (@theguydf) July 30, 2019
I stand by the constitutional (not moral) argument I offered in my controversial oped: if a person dies, aren’t they technically no longer a person?
— Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) July 29, 2019
On an unrelated note, and I am certainly not guilty of cannibalism, which is clearly defined as “eating people”. 1/
Twitter: Morning, everyone! How's it g--
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) July 30, 2019
Alan Dershowitz: (smashing through the wall at top speed to leave an Alan Dershowitz-shaped hole in the brick) THE CONSTITUTION SAYS IT'S OKAY TO HAVE SEX WITH CHILDREN
If I Did It
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) July 29, 2019
by Alan Dershowitz https://t.co/ENb2HEPEYo
come for dershowitz doubling down on his opinion that the age of consent should be lowered to 15, stay for the line when he explains this may be double true for minors "particularly [of] some ethnic groups" pic.twitter.com/9XUthLWg4Z
— LVL 45 CHAOS POTUS (@thetomzone) July 30, 2019
Alan Dershowitz is doin’ legal gymnastics to “legalize” sex with 15 year old girls. Now why would a totally innocent feller need to do such a thing?https://t.co/ocmBnqdgX5
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) July 30, 2019
Have you lost your damn mind?
— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) July 29, 2019
Narrator: "Yes, yes Dersh has lost his mind and not even @waze can help him locate it."
— Emily Brandwin (@CIAspygirl) July 30, 2019
That's a "Constitutional" argument?
— Melissa Jo Peltier (@MelissaJPeltier) July 29, 2019
I must've missed a page of the Constitution.
The fuck is the matter with you, #CreepyDershowitz?
— andy lassner (@andylassner) July 30, 2019
I'm REALLY interested as to why you care so much about whether or not 16 year olds can consent.
— Mueller, She Wrote Podcast (@MuellerSheWrote) July 30, 2019
Just say, "I'm a pervert." It's much shorter.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) July 30, 2019
The old "why am I a pedophile if my 16 yr old victim gets to have an abortion" argument.
— Alt Fed Employee (@Alt_FedEmployee) July 30, 2019
You're gross. Please stop talking. #CreepyDershowitz https://t.co/LbUPcIMvCl
— Shara Godwinson (@sharagodwinson) July 30, 2019
Martha's Vineyard just hid its daughters
— shauna (@goldengateblond) July 30, 2019
Free legal advice: Log off
— Connor Wroe Southard (@ConnorSouthard) July 29, 2019
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