PLYMOUTH

Anti-Biden Lawn Signs Spark Controversy in Plymouth

After the town threatened a man with fines, he called the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which quickly sent a letter to town officials to argue that the bylaws are unconstitutional

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Dino Casieri voted for Donald Trump in November, and While he doesn’t question the legitimacy of the election, he is adamant: “Biden is not my president.”

Those five words are printed on a lawn sign outside his home on State Road in Plymouth, Massacshusetts. 

The sign, which he put up after the election, drew sharp criticism from town officials, whom he said threatened to fine him if he didn’t take it down. 

“They were attacking only me for having this sign up, when they sent me two certified letters telling me they were going to charge me $300 a day if I had my sign up,” said Casieri, noting that there are other political signs in his neighborhood. 

He said officials cited two bylaws governing political signs. One prohibits such signs before and after elections. Another one bans “insulting” signs. 

Casieri admitted that he briefly put up a profane sign outside his house that read, “[Expletive] Biden.” But he said the other one attracted more attention. 

After the town threatened him with fines, he called the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which quickly sent a letter to town officials to argue that the bylaws are unconstitutional. 

“People have a right to express their political views all year round,” said Ruth Bourquin, managing attorney at the ACLU of Massachusetts. “Because they [town officials] recognize that we were making valid points that they were suspending enforcement of these two ordinances and are considering rewriting the ordinances or repealing them.”

Bourquin said, since the town rescinded its threat to fine Casieri and said it will no longer enforce the bylaws as they are written, she doesn’t anticipate a lawsuit. 

She did, however, note that the ACLU has successfully sued other cities and towns over similar issues. 

“I don’t care what sign it is; you have a right to any sign you want to have up,” Casieri said. 

The town didn’t respond to a request for comment. 

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