People v. Cash
Michigan Supreme Court
351 N.W.2d 822 (1984)
Relevant factsFree
Cash (defendant), 30, met a runaway who was one month shy of turning 16 and who told him she was 17; after she voluntarily but reluctantly had sex with him twice at a motel, she reported the incident to police. Cash was convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct after the trial court refused his requested instruction that a reasonable mistake as to her age was a defense; he appealed.
IssueFree
Whether, in Michigan, a reasonable mistake of fact as to a female's age is a defense to a charge of statutory rape.