A person commits a class 2 misdemeanor if, during a riot or when one is impending, the person knowingly disobeys a reasonable public safety order to move, disperse, or refrain from specified activities in the immediate vicinity of the riot. A public safety order is an order designed to prevent or control disorder or promote the safety of persons or property issued by an authorized member of the police, fire, military, or other forces concerned with the riot. No such order shall apply to a news reporter or other person observing or recording the events on behalf of the public press or other news media, unless the news reporter or other person is physically obstructing efforts by such forces to cope with the riot or impending riot. Inapplicability of the order is an affirmative defense.
C.R.S. § 18-9-105
Section 803(2) of chapter 462 (SB 21-271), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022.
For affirmative defenses generally, see §§ 18-1-407 , 18-1-710 , and 18-1-805 .