Political yard-sign case heads to court (Kerry-Edwards sign)

[The Straight Story]

Political yard-sign case heads to court
Parties, observers say basic freedoms central to alleged incident

Nammi Bhagvandoss
Globe Staff Writer
12/12/04
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A misdemeanor vandalism case involving a $57 yard sign might not seem worthy of lawyers and a judge, but parties on the inside and outside of the issue think to the contrary.

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A Joplin real estate saleswoman is to be tried in January in Joplin Municipal Court on a charge of vandalizing political yard signs in September at one of her listings on 20th Street, according to Dan Bagley, city prosecutor.

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Sue Cowen, a Joplin Democrat and local party worker, filed the vandalism complaint against Thomas after a passer-by photographed a woman removing signs on Sunday, Sept. 19, at 20th Street and Adele Avenue, and after Thomas apparently left the folded-up signs and her business card with a note at the local Democrat campaign headquarters. The note said the party did not have permission to leave the signs at this location.

Cowen says all she wants is $57 reimbursement for a missing Kerry-Edwards sign and installation costs at Frank Ray's property at 20th Street and Adele Avenue, but has said previously that the principle of the issue is what is important.



http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=146349&PHPSESSID=c0c320aaf91744252bf83d857600cfed

[proud patriot]

1. Woo Hoo .. one got caught

:) I had a sign stolen prior to the election
and then returned vandalized a couple of days
after the election . Almost caught the punk-ass
anti-Christian coward too . The only reason I
call him/her "anti-Christian" is because they
probably call themselves Christian. the Vandalism
on the sign leads me to believe this .

anyway it's nice to see one the sign thieves
get prosecuted

[ShaneGR]

2. I liked how the County Republican Party reacted....

He slammed the woman who tore the signs down too.

[LiberalFighter]

3. He said she was a Democrat?? Baloney

She didn't even bother finding out if the home owner had given permission for the signs to be there. She took it upon herself to make that decision for the home owner.

[SheilaT]

4. Speaking of sign vandalism,

I ran for office (I lost, alas) and some of my signs were vandalized, which I actually considered hilarious, given I'm pretty much a nobody.

I replaced the signs when people told me there were stolen or vandalized.

[kcass1954]

5. No you're not "nobody"...

You had the balls to try to make a change. YOU GO!!!