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August 6, 2007

ACLU sues police chief over removal of political signs

The American Civil Liberties Union, Rhode Island affiliate, filed a federal lawsuit today accusing the town of Richmond and Police Chief Raymond Driscoll of repeatedly taking down political signs of former congressional candidate Rod Driver.

In a news release, the ACLU alleges the alleged actions "amounted to a willful violation" of Driver's First Amendment rights.

Driver lost to incumbent Democrat James R. Langevin in the race for U.S. representative from the state's 2nd Congressional District.

Driver put up a sign in August on private property of supporters across from the Washington County Fair Grounds in Richmond, the ACLU said.

When the sign was removed, Driver replaced it but found it taken down on several occasions, the ACLU said. Driver complained to the police chief, but the chief said he had removed the signs, asserting they violated state law prohibiting signs “within the limits of a public highway without first obtaining the written consent of the chief of police.”

Driver argued there was no basis for the chief's conclusion the signs were within the limits of Route 112. Driver nevertheless posted signs farther from the road but discovered those were taken down as well.

Driver put up a sign almost 30 feet away from the centerline of Route 112 and attached a note to Driscoll saying: “This sign is on private property, well outside the highway right of way.”

The ACLU said Driscoll let the sign stay but had a police cruiser parked with lights flashing "directly in front of and blocking the sign, preventing fairgoers from seeing it."

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 1:27 PM | Permalink

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