Post by justvote on May 7, 2009 8:02:56 GMT -5
May 7, 2009
By KATHY CICHON kcichon@scn1.com
Election season might be over, but the battle between these candidates is far from finished.
Last month, Lisle Township Clerk Richard Tarulis, R-Naperville, filed a report of theft of campaign signs. Now there is an active warrant for the arrest of his opponent, Virginia Wisdom who ran as a Democrat.
» Click to enlarge image
Lisle Township Clerk Rick Tarulis, a Naperville attorney, poses with a campaign sign on the porch of his downtown Naperville office Monday.
(Danielle Gardner/Staff Photographer)
» Click to enlarge image
Lisle Township Clerk Rick Yarulis (left) speaks as (left to right) candidate Virginia Wisdom and trustee candidates listen at a forum in March. Police say a warrant has been issued for Wisdom's arrest for allegedly stealing a Tarulis campiaign sign.
(Sun File Photo)
According to Naperville police, the incident occurred at 1:45 p.m. April 6 — the day before Election Day — in front of Midas Auto Service Experts, 800 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville. A witness, an employee of the shop, observed a female take signs from in front of the business, said Cmdr. Dave Hoffman of the Naperville Police Department.
"She grabbed the signs and allegedly put them in her trunk and took off," Hoffman said.
The owner of the signs, Tarulis, showed the witness a photo of Wisdom, and "that's how the identification was made," Hoffman said.
Subsequent to the April 6 incident, police investigated and "determined Wisdom was allegedly the occupant of the vehicle and obtained a warrant for her arrest," Hoffman said.
The two campaign signs are valued at $4.
"It's not the dollar value, it's the time," Tarulis said.
He said he spent half a day on the phone getting permission from property owners to put up signs, and then half a day putting the signs up.
"It's not about the dollars, it's about the principle," he said.
Wisdom did not return repeated phone messages left by The Sun.
Bond following an arrest would be set at $5,000, requiring 10 percent — $500 — for bail, Hoffman said. The charge of theft is a Class A misdemeanor and carries a penalty of a $1,000 fine or up to a year in jail, or both, he said.
"I don't care what they give her for a penalty, $1 or supervision," Tarulis said. "I just want her to have a conviction for stealing my signs."
Hoffman said it is unusual to have an arrest warrant for theft of campaign signs.
"Often times evidence is not able to support a charge," Hoffman said. "Obviously in this case, it is."
Lesson learned?
Police reports of missing signs are common during election season, and Wisdom herself reported to police that sometime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. April 6, one of her campaign signs was stolen from the frontyard of her home.
In 2003, Wisdom was ticketed by Naperville Park District police for removing yellow ribbons from trees along the Riverwalk. In an interview with The Sun at the time, she admitted removing the ribbons because of her religious and moral convictions in opposition to war.
She was cited under a provision of a city ordinance dealing with "defacing or removing a public informational sign" relating to the proper use of Park District facilities. The city declined to press charges.
Tarulis, though, said he intends to see this case through to the end.
"I'm going to go to court every day to make sure it doesn't get dismissed," Tarulis said. "... I just think I got to follow through so people learn a lesson. It's not allowed. People just can't go taking signs off private property."
Along with the stolen signs, Tarulis is also upset with a print campaign ad Wisdom ran a few days before the election. The ad, Tarulis said, contained false information about him, and he is considering defamation of character charges.
"Her platform was honesty, fairness and wisdom," Tarulis said. "... She's the opposite of what her campaign slogan was. She lied in her ad, she stole my signs, and she's absolutely not wise."
By KATHY CICHON kcichon@scn1.com
Election season might be over, but the battle between these candidates is far from finished.
Last month, Lisle Township Clerk Richard Tarulis, R-Naperville, filed a report of theft of campaign signs. Now there is an active warrant for the arrest of his opponent, Virginia Wisdom who ran as a Democrat.
» Click to enlarge image
Lisle Township Clerk Rick Tarulis, a Naperville attorney, poses with a campaign sign on the porch of his downtown Naperville office Monday.
(Danielle Gardner/Staff Photographer)
» Click to enlarge image
Lisle Township Clerk Rick Yarulis (left) speaks as (left to right) candidate Virginia Wisdom and trustee candidates listen at a forum in March. Police say a warrant has been issued for Wisdom's arrest for allegedly stealing a Tarulis campiaign sign.
(Sun File Photo)
According to Naperville police, the incident occurred at 1:45 p.m. April 6 — the day before Election Day — in front of Midas Auto Service Experts, 800 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville. A witness, an employee of the shop, observed a female take signs from in front of the business, said Cmdr. Dave Hoffman of the Naperville Police Department.
"She grabbed the signs and allegedly put them in her trunk and took off," Hoffman said.
The owner of the signs, Tarulis, showed the witness a photo of Wisdom, and "that's how the identification was made," Hoffman said.
Subsequent to the April 6 incident, police investigated and "determined Wisdom was allegedly the occupant of the vehicle and obtained a warrant for her arrest," Hoffman said.
The two campaign signs are valued at $4.
"It's not the dollar value, it's the time," Tarulis said.
He said he spent half a day on the phone getting permission from property owners to put up signs, and then half a day putting the signs up.
"It's not about the dollars, it's about the principle," he said.
Wisdom did not return repeated phone messages left by The Sun.
Bond following an arrest would be set at $5,000, requiring 10 percent — $500 — for bail, Hoffman said. The charge of theft is a Class A misdemeanor and carries a penalty of a $1,000 fine or up to a year in jail, or both, he said.
"I don't care what they give her for a penalty, $1 or supervision," Tarulis said. "I just want her to have a conviction for stealing my signs."
Hoffman said it is unusual to have an arrest warrant for theft of campaign signs.
"Often times evidence is not able to support a charge," Hoffman said. "Obviously in this case, it is."
Lesson learned?
Police reports of missing signs are common during election season, and Wisdom herself reported to police that sometime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. April 6, one of her campaign signs was stolen from the frontyard of her home.
In 2003, Wisdom was ticketed by Naperville Park District police for removing yellow ribbons from trees along the Riverwalk. In an interview with The Sun at the time, she admitted removing the ribbons because of her religious and moral convictions in opposition to war.
She was cited under a provision of a city ordinance dealing with "defacing or removing a public informational sign" relating to the proper use of Park District facilities. The city declined to press charges.
Tarulis, though, said he intends to see this case through to the end.
"I'm going to go to court every day to make sure it doesn't get dismissed," Tarulis said. "... I just think I got to follow through so people learn a lesson. It's not allowed. People just can't go taking signs off private property."
Along with the stolen signs, Tarulis is also upset with a print campaign ad Wisdom ran a few days before the election. The ad, Tarulis said, contained false information about him, and he is considering defamation of character charges.
"Her platform was honesty, fairness and wisdom," Tarulis said. "... She's the opposite of what her campaign slogan was. She lied in her ad, she stole my signs, and she's absolutely not wise."
