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Yard signs don’t vote, but some can shock you

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Illinois

* Running really behind this morning, and this isn’t an Illinois story, but we can have a little fun with it anyway…

Critics of Donald Trump should be ready for a shock if they plan to steal any pro-Trump yard signs from at least one property in Bellingham.

Trump supporter Ray Gilbride had no luck getting response from police after having several Trump signs stolen from his property, so he took matters into his own hands. Specifically, Gilbride hooked up a 1.5-joule electric fence to the signs.

“It’ll light you up a little bit,” Gilbride told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. “Especially if you’re standing in wet grass.”

Gilbride caught one female on his surveillance camera attempting to steal the electrified sign. Though the jolt didn’t keep her from following through on her mission, it did provide him with some laughs.

“This young lady came running through and she grabs the signs, pulls them out and that’s where you can see plain as day, the jolt hit her a little bit,” he said. “She just stopped, just a dead stop, and soon as the pulsing was done, she kinda got her senses and ripped them out and took off running down the street. But it was a pretty funny video.”

As they say on TV, don’t try this at home.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:29 am

Comments

I think old Ray took a jolt to the head to put that sign in his yard in the first place….

Comment by Grandpa Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:35 am
Any research out there on efficacy of yard signs? I wonder because they seem to me to be a “preaching to the choir” practice which serves to enlighten your neighbors on your vote. I assume they are used to attract votes from the “undecided” sector, am very interested in knowing if the practice works.

Comment by illinoised Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:37 am
This video is a real joule!

Comment by blue dog dem Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:38 am
Any bet on who will introduce a bill to outlaw electrification of yard signs?

Comment by Cognizant Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:41 am
This activity is already illegal and may also foreseeably give rise to civil liability - this is not something to joke about at all.

Comment by atbat Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:45 am
Just another Trumpeter example about how a fence solves everything.

Comment by Johnnie F. Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:49 am
I always thought kids stealing yard signs should be grounded.

Comment by Shark Sandwich Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:53 am
Realy stupid to the extreme. But sonebody needs to point out to the anti Trump crowd that vandalism and infantile behavior only helps Trump
In the long run.

Comment by Chungas revenge Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:59 am
- Shark Sandwich - Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:53 am:

I always thought kids stealing yard signs should be grounded.

Hey-ho!!!!!

Comment by jerry 101 Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:59 am
atbat—-I know, people should realize stealing signs is an illegal activity!!

Comment by Piece of Work Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 9:59 am
I don’t like Trump either, but you have a trespasser and thief interfering with the man’s freedom of speech. So let her sue and he will have her name to press criminal charges.

Comment by A Jack Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:03 am
“this is not something to joke about at all.”

No, but it should surprise us not at all that a Trump supporter is doing it.

Comment by Nick Name Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:04 am
atbat@9:45a

Lighten up, Francis!

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:05 am
A friend owns a very visible corner location along a state highway in my county. Many years ago she had a half dozen signs disappear twice.

Before she put them up again, she asked her father to mount 2 Critter Cams that would cover the entire property. Needless to say, they disappeared again.

Her father approached the culprits at coffee the next morning with the evidence and gave an ultimatum - return the signs immediately or the video was going to the sheriff and states attorney.

Suddenly well over 2 dozen signs showed up at her house, even some she had not put out and she has never had any problems since.

Comment by illini Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:05 am
Watt a revolting measure of the current, charged campaign.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:07 am
@Shark

=I always thought kids stealing yard signs should be grounded.=

That was wicked funny! Well played!

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:12 am
Those dang trial lawyers are all charged up over these kinda things.

Comment by blue dog dem Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:13 am
Shocking this hasn’t happened in Illinois already.

Comment by Jeff Trigg Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:31 am
About 20 years ago, I put a yard sign in my parent’s yard supporting a candidate who wasn’t the Democrat. I went through five of them. Every night a passionate Democrat trespassed and stole it.

I finally covered it with clear grease. I made it so grotesque that if even a housefly would have avoided it.

It was still there the next morning, mangled, but presentable. It stayed there until Election Day.

My dad mowed around it, the flies avoided it, but best of all, the Democrats didn’t trespass and steal it.

The candidate lost, naturally. It is Cook County around after all. You are either a Democrat there or a tourist. Russia is more democratic than Chicago.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:36 am
POW - as a general matter without giving any particular legal advice - taking political signs is theft and electrifying a metal object to “catch” someone touching it is battery and if the person dies, homicide, also leading to a civil suit for damages as a consequence of an intentional tort - typical first year law school test material.

Comment by atbat Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:50 am
Going to sound silly, but why would putting a charge (non-lethal) on a yard sign on your property be illegal. I suspect you might have to put up a warning sign or something but it isn’t like you are electrifying a swing set in the ward or something, a political sign isn’t an attractive nuisance or whatever it is called…

Comment by OneMan Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 10:53 am
It is illegal to “booby trap” your property, and you can be charged if a person is injured or killed doing so. The reason is lethal self-defense is permitted only to protect you or your family against reasonable fear of death or serious bodily harm. Theft of property doesn’t justify it. For example, you can’t just shoot a burglar in the back as he/she is running away because the threat is gone. Booby traps are mindless and go off no matter the circumstances, so the property owner is responsible for the harm they cause. Property crimes are a police matter, not a vigilante matter. You may not like it, but it’s the law.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 11:34 am
I live on a busy corner and my signs frequently disappear. Short of sitting on my front porch all night with my 12-gauge shotgun, I don’t know how to combat it. I’m certainly no fan of Trump, but Gilbride has a constitutional right to put out a sign in his own yard, and I’m even with him on electrifying it. Good for him.

Comment by Steve Rogers Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 11:36 am
I’ve often fantasized about doing something like that. I’m definitely the leftist outlier in my neighborhood. I haven’t lost one in a while but I’m sure it’s going to happen soon.

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 11:46 am
It would be more useful to have an alarm and a camera. I am amused by this though. People who go onto other people’s property and take “anything” are violating them. Shouldn’t happen.

Comment by A guy Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 11:47 am
People (including a bunch of deleted people), stop citing Illinois law. This is a Washington state story. It’s clearly labeled as out of state up top. So, unless you are an expert on Washington law, zip it and try to have fun with the freaking post.

Sheesh, man. It’s Friday. Lighten the heck up.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 11:55 am
The lawyers here are merely doing their duty to inform folks about the law. It is highly unlikely, although possible, of course, that the law in Washington is different from Illinois. Please do not be cross. I, for one, would be interested in the posted comments you have withheld. If you think that is inappropriate, kindly post a picture of Oscar the Puppy, which will make all of us pleased. Thanks for all the work you do here.

Comment by atbat Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 12:41 pm
Am I the only one who still brings the signs in at sundown?

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 12:55 pm
This is the logical next step from just standing on your front porch and yelling at those dang punks to get off my lawn!

Comment by Joe Biden Was Here Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 1:06 pm
Rich….Buzz kill. (tee hee)

Comment by A guy Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 1:07 pm
I’m with this guy 100%. This is why I have landmines around all my Hillary signs.

Comment by Dale Cooper Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 2:16 pm
Including the Hillary sign itself, D Coop! /s lol

Comment by A guy Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 3:05 pm
“This is why I have landmines around all my Hillary signs.”

And here I thought all the landmines these candidates keep stepping on were figurative.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 3:19 pm
Knew a candidate years ago that had large signs clearly run over in the same spot multiple times. Some well-placed screws on the sign posts that happened to be a tad too long for the thickness of the posts netted a tire a little down the road not many hours later. Sign wasn’t touched again after that. Good for him. If you’re going to act like an idiot and interfere with people’s legal rights to express their views by illegally violating their property, I’m all for a price having to be paid by them - especially when law enforcement will rarely take it seriously.

Comment by LessAnon? Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 3:36 pm
Looks like Free speech only applies to one side of the 2016 presidential equation ?

Comment by NorthsideNoMore Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 4:04 pm
NorthsideNoMore, this is a private website, not a public park. If you post truly goofy comments, expect them to be deleted.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 4:15 pm