Are Snowball Fights Still Illegal in Colorado?

(Section III: Odd Guidelines in Colorado)

In 2018, a 9-year-outdated boy named Dane Very best produced global headlines for convincing the city council in his hometown of Severance, Colorado, to overturn a century-previous law that mentioned throwing snowballs was illegal.

“Snowballs” fell underneath the town’s definition of “missiles,” and an ordinance banned the throwing of “missiles” at a further “human being, animal, setting up,” or even a “tree.” § 10-5-80. So, whilst the ban was never enforced and Best was never ever ticketed for committing a crime, the regulation nevertheless built it illegal for Dane and his friends in Severance to have a snowball combat.

Greatest argued to the board that obtaining snowball fights provides young ones a very good reason to perform outside in the wintertime. The city council agreed, and taken out the phrase “snowball” from its prohibitions towards throwing items.

Even so, Severance is just not the only city in Colorado with ordinances in opposition to snowballs.

In the city of Aspen, for instance, it really is continue to from the regulation to toss snowballs “at any motor vehicle, creating,” or “any individual”. § 15.04.210. That exact legislation also bans the “discharge” of “any bow, blowgun, slingshot,” or “catapult” in any community area.

In Boulder, “no person shall cast, throw, or propel” “balls, boomerangs, bottles, darts, Frisbees,” “product airplanes, rocks,” or “snowballs.” § 5-6-9(a).

Nevertheless, there is a certain exception for a “juggler,” who is authorized to toss about snowballs, but no knives or just about anything on fire. § 5-6-9(b).

And, while it’s not versus the law to have a snowball struggle in a cemetery in Boulder, it is illegal to start a foodstuff combat there. § 8-7-5(a).

In the town of Fort Collins, it’s only unlawful to throw snowballs “upon or at any car or truck,” Chap. 17 Artwork. VI § 17-102, whilst in Windsor, it’s in opposition to the regulation to throw snowballs at “any automobile, making, tree or other general public or personal property, or upon or at any man or woman in any general public way or on other community floor.” § 10-4-80.

Although snowball fights are permitted in the town of Snowmass, it really is nonetheless illegal to “throw” or “eject” a snowball “in any fashion which may perhaps cause bodily hurt or house harm.” § 10-42.

In the same way, in Louisville, it is really not just “throwing” snowballs in a manner that has “significant possibility of leading to harm or harm” which is banned, but also “slinging, dropping, taking pictures or launching” them. Chap. 9.36 § 010.

In Hudson, New Castle, and Rifle, you can only toss snowballs at “any person, animal, motor auto,” “setting up, construction,” or “tree” if it belongs to you. Hudson, Art. 4 Chap. 10 § 54 New Castle, Cap. 9.24 § 110 Rifle, Art. III § 10-3-110.

It can be not only from the legislation to toss a snowball in community in the cities of Keenesburg, Leadville, Loveland, Nederland, Oak Creek, and Pierce, but it truly is also a criminal offense to do so “on enclosed or unenclosed ground.” Keenesburg, Chap. 10 Art. 4 § 100 Leadville, Chap. 9.44 § 030 Loveland, Artwork. V Chap. 9.44 § 030 Nederland, Artwork. IX § 10-165 Oak Creek, Chap. 9.52 § 060 Pierce, Chap. 10 Artwork. 5 § 120.

Throwing snowballs is a criminal offense in Glenwood Springs if the man or woman threw them with the intent to injure somebody, or to “deface or soil any personal house.” Art. 120.020 § 060.

And in Idaho Springs, it really is only authorized to toss a snowball if it really is “for recreational functions in these kinds of a way that no unreasonable chance of hurt was introduced” to everyone, or if it was thrown in self-defense or protection of many others. Artwork. 5 § 17-82.

So, even though it truly is now game-on in Severance, snowball fights are even now illegal in other elements of Colorado.