By Jeff Noedel

Journal contributor

Many political yard signs are located on public property and rights-of-way in San Juan County.

While relatively few citizens continue to display yard signs on their personal property long after the election, the vast majority of campaigns and campaign supporters remove their yard signs from public spaces shortly after the election is over.

This is an act of conscience, returning street corners and roadsides to their natural, apolitical beauty. An honor system.

But on Wednesday, the San Juan County District Court ruled that a political yard sign can only be legally removed with the consent of its owner or the citizen who placed it there, even if it is on a public lot or right-of-way… mode. It doesn’t matter how long after the election the sign is still standing on public space.

Amy Vira, San Juan County District Attorney, said in an email that “Signs are personal property and unless a citizen has permission from the owner of the sign, the RCW prohibits removal at any time.”

Washington’s administrative code specifies conditions for political yard signs on private property adjacent to interstates and major state roads and requires them to disappear 10 days after the general election. This code does not apply to roads in San Juan County. Read administrative code section 468-66-050(3)(d)(ii) at

Beth Helstein chaired the campaign to lift the lid on the San Juan Island library, which was approved with 56 percent support on August 6.

Raising the toll cap was opposed by Royce Meyerott, who spent $600 to create dozens of yard signs emblazoned with the words “HELL NO!”

More than two weeks after the Aug. 6 election, one of Meyerott’s yard signs was seen in a stack of seven political yard signs outside Helstein’s home.

Five of the signs were related to the recent lifting of the library fee cap; one for a past sheriff campaign. All six signs identifiable in the photo were for campaigns that have ended.

Helstein told friends her intention was to donate the metal stakes to another political campaign and recycle the plastic signs.

Helstein estimates he picked up Meyerott’s sign from a right-of-way at Roche Harbor Road and Egg Lake Road 10 to 14 days after the Aug. 6 election.

After the election, a passerby took a photo of the stack of signs in the yard and shared the photo with Meyerott.

Meyerott insisted that the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office investigate, and on August 26, a deputy filed a probable cause affidavit against Helstein.

Helstein was charged with a simple violation of Washington Penal Code: RCW 29A.84.040. Political advertising, removal or distortion. The law states: “A person who removes or defaces lawfully placed political advertisements, including yard signs or billboards, without authorization, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable to the same extent as a misdemeanor punishable under RCW 9A.20.021. Defacement or removal of each item constitutes a separate violation.” Punishment can range from up to 90 days in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

Other than the state administrative code governing signs near major highways, Washington state law does not specify an expiration date for political yard signs, including those on public land.

In court Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Carolyn Jewett agreed to a “continuation stipulation,” indicating the state and the defendant agreed to a set of conditions that — if met by Helstein within the next year — would result in the charges being dropped in a year. Conditions include no additional criminal charges in the next year, payment of a $100 fee and 24 hours of community service to be completed by Dec. 3. At the time of Tuesday’s hearing, one question was still pending: Should Helstein pay restitution. This question has been postponed for the future.

On Thursday, this reporter asked several county council candidates if they wanted their yard signs up after the election. All candidates contacted said they would be happy for anyone to remove yard signs from public land and rights-of-way as early as Wednesday, November 6.

According to the four candidates for the general election board, they printed and distributed 850 yard signs between them. Many hundreds more are on public lands and rights-of-way for fire levy and Land Bank reauthorization elections, not to mention signs for campaigns for statewide offices, legislative races and even commissioner elections.

Even though there are 1,000 political yard signs on public land after the election, after Helstein’s criminal indictment, many now believe it would be risky for anyone to remove a political yard sign from private property without the owner’s or occupier’s permission. placed there. , no matter how out of place it looks, regardless of the fact that it is on public land.

Royce Meyerott did not respond to a request for comment.

Beth Helstein responded but declined to comment.