After Jan. 1, rioting will still be a crime in Washington, but it will get a new name. And Seahawks fans will have a new way to show their loyalty to the team.
The next time people riot anywhere in Washington, the formal charge will be “criminal mischief.” The argument for this change is that most of the time when someone’s charged with rioting it’s in lieu of some other charge, not because they were engaged in mayhem in the streets.
Thus, the argument goes, “criminal mischief” better describes the actual crime.
Not everyone agrees. “A riot by any other name will still smell like tear gas,” said citizen activist Arthur West earlier this year. He was testifying against the name change.
Hopefully Seahawks fans never riot. But starting Jan. 2, they’ll have a new way show their team appreciation. A law takes effect that allows the Washington Department of Licensing to issue special Seahawks license plates.
Soccer fans, don’t despair: a new Sounders FC license plate will also be available.
