Trump-Hater’s Furious Over Woman’s Sign, 5 Words Have Cops Threatening Jail Time

A Rockland, Maine, woman said she would rather go to jail than take down a sign on her property declaring her support of President Donald Trump, despite the city’s orders that the sign must be removed.

The city ordered Susan Reitman, 75, to remove pro-Trump signs from her property because they exceed the size of signs allowed on residential properties, according to the Portland Press Herald.

Rockland Assistant Code Enforcement Officer William Butler said the order for Reitman to remove her signs has nothing to do with the content.

“I admire your passion for our president,” Butler wrote in a Sept. 18 email to Reitman. “Truly, I do. However, we have received a complaint and I have to do my due diligence and I have determined your signs are not in compliance with the Rockland Code.”

Butler continued: “It is your business what you put on the signs. It is the city’s business regarding the size and number of signs.”

The email to Reitman did not mention any threat of jail time if she refused to remove the signs. For there to be a risk of jail time, the city would need to file a land-use complaint in court and Reitman would have to ignore a judge’s order to remove the signs.

“If I have to sit in jail for the rest of eternity, that’s my choice,” Reitman told NECN. “I guess I’m being stubborn … but I’m not going to back down from what I believe.”

The city’s sign ordinance limits residents to one sign on their property. The sign, if attached to a structure, can be no more than 2 square feet. If the sign is free-standing, then it may be no more than 4 square feet, the Press Herald notes.

Reitman has two signs exceeding the size limits attached to the gate on her driveway, and another sign exceeding size limits attached to her home.

The homeowner said an assistant code officer was on her property earlier in September about a request to add a fence and made no mention of the signs being in violation of city code.

Butler said he received a complaint about Reitman’s signs from another resident and that his position requires him to respond.

Reitman maintains that she has no intention of removing the signs.

“They can put me in jail,” she said. “I won’t take them down.”

The city ordinance states that the potential penalty for such violations is between $100 and $1,000 per day. Reitman said she will refuse to pay any potential fine.

Sources: Portland Press Herald, NECN via WCSH / Featured Image: Pixabay / Embedded Images: Stephen Betts/Portland Press Herald, WCSH