Are Snowball Fights Still Illegal in Colorado?
(Component III: Odd Laws in Colorado)
In 2018, a 9-yr-previous boy named Dane Finest manufactured intercontinental headlines for convincing the town council in his hometown of Severance, Colorado, to overturn a century-aged legislation that stated throwing snowballs was unlawful.
“Snowballs” fell below the town’s definition of “missiles,” and an ordinance banned the throwing of “missiles” at one more “particular person, animal, building,” or even a “tree.” § 10-5-80. So, though the ban was in no way enforced and Finest was under no circumstances ticketed for committing a crime, the legislation however designed it illegal for Dane and his good friends in Severance to have a snowball fight.
Ideal argued to the board that having snowball fights gives young ones a fantastic rationale to engage in outside the house in the wintertime. The city council agreed, and removed the term “snowball” from its prohibitions from throwing items.
Nevertheless, Severance isn’t the only town in Colorado with ordinances versus snowballs.
In the town of Aspen, for instance, it’s however from the regulation to toss snowballs “at any car or truck, developing,” or “any particular person”. § 15.04.210. That exact same law also bans the “discharge” of “any bow, blowgun, slingshot,” or “catapult” in any general public place.
In Boulder, “no human being shall cast, throw, or propel” “balls, boomerangs, bottles, darts, Frisbees,” “model airplanes, rocks,” or “snowballs.” § 5-6-9(a).
Nevertheless, there is a unique exception for a “juggler,” who is authorized to toss all-around snowballs, but no knives or nearly anything on fireplace. § 5-6-9(b).
And, even though it is not towards the regulation to have a snowball battle in a cemetery in Boulder, it is unlawful to start out a food combat there. § 8-7-5(a).
In the town of Fort Collins, it’s only illegal to toss snowballs “upon or at any auto,” Chap. 17 Artwork. VI § 17-102, whilst in Windsor, it can be against the regulation to toss snowballs at “any motor vehicle, constructing, tree or other general public or non-public assets, or on or at any individual in any general public way or upon other public floor.” § 10-4-80.
Whilst snowball fights are permitted in the city of Snowmass, it is even now illegal to “throw” or “eject” a snowball “in any way which may well lead to physical harm or assets damage.” § 10-42.
Similarly, in Louisville, it’s not just “throwing” snowballs in a fashion that has “considerable threat of producing injuries or damage” that’s banned, but also “slinging, dropping, taking pictures or launching” them. Chap. 9.36 § 010.
In Hudson, New Castle, and Rifle, you can only throw snowballs at “any individual, animal, motor auto,” “developing, composition,” or “tree” if it belongs to you. Hudson, Art. 4 Chap. 10 § 54 New Castle, Cap. 9.24 § 110 Rifle, Artwork. III § 10-3-110.
It’s not only from the regulation to toss a snowball in community in the towns of Keenesburg, Leadville, Loveland, Nederland, Oak Creek, and Pierce, but it really is also a criminal offense to do so “on enclosed or unenclosed ground.” Keenesburg, Chap. 10 Artwork. 4 § 100 Leadville, Chap. 9.44 § 030 Loveland, Art. V Chap. 9.44 § 030 Nederland, Artwork. IX § 10-165 Oak Creek, Chap. 9.52 § 060 Pierce, Chap. 10 Art. 5 § 120.
Throwing snowballs is a criminal offense in Glenwood Springs if the particular person threw them with the intent to injure someone, or to “deface or soil any personal assets.” Art. 120.020 § 060.
And in Idaho Springs, it’s only legal to throw a snowball if it is really “for leisure needs in such a way that no unreasonable chance of harm was offered” to anybody, or if it was thrown in self-protection or protection of other individuals. Artwork. 5 § 17-82.
So, although it’s now game-on in Severance, snowball fights are however illegal in other components of Colorado.
