NC lawmakers push for rioters to face felony charges. So what is considered a riot?
Danielle Battaglia, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Mar. 16—RALEIGH — Participating in a riot in any form in North Carolina could soon leave you susceptible to felony charges.
On Monday, Sen. Danny Britt, a Lumberton Republican, filed Senate Bill 300, labeled the Criminal Justice Reform bill. The 12-page bill includes a provision that would increase the punishment for anyone participating in a riot from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class H felony.
"We want folks to know that it is our opinion that these crimes are serious," Britt told The News & Observer on Tuesday. "We hope that this will convey to them the need to actually prosecute crimes at a serious level."