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Dispute Over Signs Leads To Theft Charge

Robert Moore

Herald Staff
newsroom@harrodsburgherald.com

A Harrodsburg City Commissioner is headed to court after a dispute over political signs.

Commissioner Marvin “Bubby” Isham has been charged with theft by unlawful taking, a misdemeanor, for removing what he called “slanderous” signs from private property on Sunday, Oct. 25.

Patrick Land, who lives in Scenic Hills, said Isham removed signs from his yard and from his neighbor’s yard sometime around 6:45 p.m. that Sunday.

Land said his girlfriend told him someone was in his front yard. “He grabbed them and threw them in the back of his truck,” Land said.

Land shared pictures of Isham and his truck, but not of Isham removing the signs.

According to pictures Isham shared with the Harrodsburg Herald, the signs accused Isham of ethics violations for voting on issues pertaining to Campbellsville University, where Isham works as the maintenance coordinator.

Land said this is not the first time signs he put out were removed. Land said he had placed similar signs on Marinon Avenue and Cane Run Street. He said they were taken down too.

Isham does not dispute removing the signs. He said the signs on Marimon and Cane Run were removed by city workers because they were too close to the road.

Isham said the signs libeled him, specifically signs charging him with using city fuel to run equipment he owns.

“He put signs up about me saying I was stealing,” Isham said. “That’s slander because there’s no truth to it.”

For the record, slander is spoken defamation, while libel is written defamation.

Isham said when he asked Land who had put up the signs, Land did not admit the signs belonged to him.

Isham said he has retained an attorney and is considering his legal options.

“You can’t go putting out signs accusing people of doing things that they didn’t do,” Isham said.

For the rest of the story, check out this week’s issue of the Harrodsburg Herald or subscribe online.

1 Comment

  1. Robert Allen on December 16, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    I agree with Isham… Trumps brought society to the point were people think they can libel and lie without malice, it’s gone to far.. Signs that lie and hurt should be removed one way or another!!

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