Campus police at the University of Colorado at Boulder and city authorities have a reminder -- or a first warning -- for students as they approach the opening home football game of the fall semester: state law restricts out-of-control celebrating, and a rioting conviction will curtail your Colorado public college career for a year.
Inciting or engaging in a riot, disorderly conduct and damaging personal or public property are all against the law in Colorado. According to a state law that took effect in June 2002, college students convicted of rioting offenses will be prohibited from attending any state-supported college or university for one year.
But bystanders can also get into trouble -- even if they are only watching -- if they don't comply with police orders to leave the scene of a riot.
"Scores of people don't need to be involved for a disturbance to be considered a riot," said CU Police Chief Joe Roy. "Under Colorado law, any public disturbance involving three or more persons which creates a grave danger of damage or injury to property or persons can be considered a riot."
Students and non-students alike can be criminally charged if they don't comply with police orders to disperse from riot situations, said Roy. "People are best advised to voluntarily leave situations that could evolve into a riot and not wait for an order to disperse.
"This can help de-escalate the situation by reducing the audience for those seeking to instigate the 'mob mentality' that typically fuels riots," he said. "In riot situations, people give up their individuality and composure to act with the crowd, erroneously believing that it provides them with anonymity."
People who aren't caught and arrested immediately are not safe from prosecution. Long after an incident, investigators can use digital surveillance pictures and video taken by police officers or community members to identify people who disobey orders, injure others or damage property.
People who knowingly disobey a reasonable public safety order to move, disperse or refrain from specified activities in the immediate vicinity of a riot can be charged with a class-three misdemeanor, Roy said. Fines of up to $750 and jail terms of up to six months are possible with a conviction.
Recent local ordinances have been enacted to discourage riots and unruly parties and to give police more enforcement power. Boulder's highly publicized "couch law," banning upholstered furniture from University Hill porches and front and side yards, took effect in August 2002. The ban area spans from Arapahoe Avenue to Baseline Road and Broadway to the east side of Ninth Street.
The city also enacted a nuisance party ordinance in 2001, which adds the location of beer kegs to the list of things that can get partiers in trouble. Under the keg rule, it is illegal to have an open keg of beer on a front porch or in a front yard or an unscreened side yard.
Violators of the couch or keg laws can receive the same punishment as those who have parties that involve underage drinking, property damage or excessive noise complaints -- up to $1,000 in fines and three months in jail.
In addition to the legal system, students can face possible disciplinary action through the university's Office of Judicial Affairs. Depending on the severity of the charge, students found guilty of violating the university's Code of Conduct can face sanctions ranging from probation to suspension and expulsion.
Legal trouble also can have future educational or career repercussions, officials warn. If convicted of a felony, a student could have a criminal record that would need to be reported on graduate school and job applications. Costly fines, restitution and legal fees can be especially difficult to absorb on a student budget.
For more information visit the CU-Boulder Office of Judicial Affairs Web site at .