Colorado § 18-9-314 Interference with lawful distribution of newspapers - definitions

Colorado Statutes

§ 18-9-314 — Interference with lawful distribution of newspapers - definitions

Colorado·Title 18 Criminal·Art. Offenses Against Public Peace,

(1)A person commits the offense of interference with lawful distribution of newspapers when that person obtains or exerts unauthorized control over more than five copies of an edition of a newspaper from a newspaper distribution container owned or leased by the newspaper publisher with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading that edition of the newspaper. Control is unauthorized if there is a notice on the newspaper or on the newspaper distribution container that possession of more than five copies with intent to prevent other individuals from reading that edition of the newspaper is illegal.

(2)Interference with lawful distribution of newspapers is a civil infraction and shall be punished by a fine of:

(a)Up to one thousand dollars if the number of newspapers inv

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(1) A person commits the offense of interference with lawful distribution of
newspapers when that person obtains or exerts unauthorized control over more
than five copies of an edition of a newspaper from a newspaper distribution
container owned or leased by the newspaper publisher with the intent to prevent
other individuals from reading that edition of the newspaper. Control is
unauthorized if there is a notice on the newspaper or on the newspaper distribution
container that possession of more than five copies with intent to prevent other
individuals from reading that edition of the newspaper is illegal.

(2) Interference with lawful distribution of newspapers is a civil infraction
and shall be punished by a fine of:

(a) Up to one thousand dollars if the number of newspapers involved was one
hundred or fewer or the number of newspapers involved was not determined;

(b) Up to two thousand five hundred dollars if the number of newspapers
involved was more than one hundred and fewer than five hundred;

(c) Up to five thousand dollars if the number of newspapers involved was five
hundred or more.

(3) As used in this section:

(a) Edition of a newspaper means a single press run of a newspaper.

(b) Newspaper means a periodical that includes news, editorials, opinion,
features, or other matters of public interest distributed on a complimentary basis.
Newspaper includes any student periodical distributed at any institution of higher
education.

(c) Periodical means a publication produced on a regular interval.

(4) Notwithstanding any other remedies provided under this section, the
newspaper publisher who is the victim of interference with lawful distribution of
newspapers, an advertiser who placed an advertisement in the newspaper, or a
newspaper reader who regularly reads the newspaper shall have a private civil right
of action as provided in section 13-21-123, C.R.S., against the person or persons who
acted in violation of subsection (1) of this section.

(5) This section shall not apply to a person who, with the authority or
permission of the person who possesses real or personal property, removes or
disposes of newspapers that have been deposited in or left on that property without
the authority or permission of the person who possesses the real or personal
property.

Colorado § 18-9-314 (Interference with lawful distribution of newspapers - definitions) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2013: Entire section added, (HB 13-1014), ch. 7, p. 17, � 2, effective August 7. L. 2021: IP(2) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3208, � 337, effective March 1, 2022.