A D.C. council committee is scheduled to hear a bill Thursday that would upgrade being in a flash mob to a felony charge.
The bill’s sponsor, Council Chair Phil Mendelson, has previously told The Washington Examiner that the legislation is molded after a similar proposal in Maryland. Mendelson said his bill would allow prosecutors to charge those involved in a flash mob for the “total amount of the theft,” rather than charging each person for their individual offense.
The Flash Mob Theft Act of 2012 could also apply to looting and riots, depending on the circumstances, Mendelson said. He said he got the idea for the legislation after several flash mobs in the region last year resulted in violence and major thefts and property destruction.
