Hawthorne Municipal Code Ch. 9.62 Unlawful Conduct — Political or Campaign Signs, Banners and the Like

This chapter shall be known as the "Unlawful Conduct - Political or Campaign Signs, Banners and the Like" of the city.

(Ord. 2254, 10/22/2024)

The purpose of this chapter is to provide that the taking, confiscating, possessing, moving, damaging, defacing or reusing political or campaign signs, banners, and the like, by any person and/or directing any other person to do any of the foregoing, without the permission of the owner, is a misdemeanor.

(Ord. 2254, 10/22/2024)

"Banner"

means a sign that is painted or displayed upon cloth or other flexible material.

"Owner"

of a political or campaign signs, banners, and the like, includes the campaign, a person who bought the sign or received it as a gift, or a person who agreed to allow the display of the sign on property he or she owns or lawfully possesses.

"Political or campaign sign"

means any sign advocating the election of a specific candidate for official office or advocating a position relating to a ballot or issue.

(Ord. 2254, 10/22/2024)

A. Any person who unlawfully takes, confiscates, possesses, moves, damages, defaces or uses political or campaign signs, banners, and the like, or directs any other person to do any of the foregoing, without the permission of the owner, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

B. The prohibition in subsection A does not apply to law enforcement officers, local government officials, or an authorized representative of the campaign for who the sign was created acting within his or her official capacity, a private property owner who has not given consent to the placement of a political sign on his or her property, or to a person in lawful possession of property who has not given permission for the placement of the sign on the property.

C. Nothing in this section shall preclude prosecution and punishment under any other provision of law, including, but not limited to, theft and vandalism.

(Ord. 2254, 10/22/2024)