Latest / Eccentric Laws & Social Oddities / Episode 32- The Illegal Snowball Fight
Transcript
- Juris Oddity: Welcome back to Eccentric Laws & Social Oddities, the podcast where we sift through the snowdrifts of legal history to uncover rules that make you blink twice. I’m your host, Juris Oddity, and today we’re bundling up for a wintertime wonder that somehow became a crime. That’s right—snowball fights. In certain American towns, they were technically illegal. Juris Oddity: Let’s head to Severance, Colorado. For years, this small town operated under a municipal code that prohibited throwing “stones or other missiles” at people, animals, or property. Seems reasonable, until someone realized that frozen precipitation qualifies as a “missile.” Yes, snowballs were legally lumped in with rocks. Juris Oddity: The law wasn’t written to crush childhood joy. It was designed to prevent people from hurling dangerous objects that could cause injury or damage. But because snowballs are, technically, objects thrown through the air, they fell under the same umbrella. And just like that, an innocent snow day turned into a potential misdemeanor. Juris Oddity: For years, the law sat quietly in the code books, mostly ignored. Kids built forts, parents packed snowballs, and no one was hauled off in handcuffs. But once word spread online, Severance gained national attention as “the town where snowball fights are banned.” The internet, as it tends to do, had a field day. Juris Oddity: In 2018, after public pressure and a charming campaign led by a nine-year-old boy who petitioned the town board, the ordinance was updated. Snowballs were officially removed from the “missile” category. Victory for winter. Juris Oddity: But Severance wasn’t alone. Similar broad “no projectile” laws exist across the United States. Many cities prohibit throwing any object in public spaces. Snowballs just happen to be the most wholesome casualty of overly cautious wording. Juris Oddity: What makes this law so delightfully eccentric is how a rule written for safety collided with seasonal fun. It’s a reminder that laws often cast wide nets, and sometimes they accidentally scoop up snowmen and sleds along the way. Juris Oddity: So this winter, if you find yourself mid-snowball fight, maybe double-check your local code first. I’m Juris Oddity, reminding you to stay curious, stay quirky, and always read the fine print—even when it’s covered in snow.