FAQ: Is this punishable by the court of law?
This is a class 1 Felony with one year jail time and up to $2500 in fines. It is called interference in an election, thus a federal offense.
http://www2.newsadvance.com/news/2008/oct/21/steal_a_yard_sign_violate_free_speech-ar-224606/
Great article above on stealing signs and the cowards that do so while violating your free speech rights.
Except, he's being charged with Theft Under $300, not Interference in an Election.
ReplyDeleteGuess we will see what the States Attorney labels it. Shall be interesting!
ReplyDeleteToday while circulating recall petitions our recall sign was stolen not once but twice from the park entrance, where we collect signatures each week. It simply said "recall" with an arrow pointing to where we were. Two of us witnessed the second guy pick it up and take it to his car. I got the license plate and saw the man, who made a gesture to me, and returned the sign when he saw park rangers were calling police at our request. The officer said since the sign had no "value" there was no theft. Turns out the sign was probably on a public right of way near a street,which is an apparent violation of our city ordinance, which we did not know. We must apply for a mobile sign permit for special events. Turns out two different employees of a nearby bank took both signs. One of the sign thieves said the property belongs to the bank, but this is debatable. We're checking into that aspect. In any case, does the election interference law also apply to the theft of recall signs? I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive and forget if it turns out this isn't bank property. Is this worth pursuing legally?
ReplyDelete