Michael M. v. Superior Court of Sonoma County - The California Supreme Court's Ruling

Both the trial court and the California Court of Appeals denied this request. The case was then taken to the Supreme Court of California, which upheld the California State statute. The state supreme court recognized that the statute made a distinction on the basis of sex because it provided that only males may violate this law, but held that this distinction was appropriate to the circumstance. The gender specific classification, it argued, was not only supported by social convention, but also by the biological fact that only the woman can become pregnant. Gender was also seen as a means for identifying both the offender and the victim. The state's "compelling interest" in preventing teen pregnancies, the social consequences of teen pregnancies and the risks inherent in teenage childbearing also supported the court's decision.