La Guillotine

Dear Indigna,

A man in California put up a gallows in his front yard and hung an effigy of an Arab from it. Someone stole the effigy. He vows that "Legally, they're gonna wish they never did this." What is his cause of action? Will he lose? Because I have an idea for a similar display.

Potential Guillotine Re-Enactor,
Sopchoppy, FL

Dear Madame Guillotine,

His cause of action is petty theft (how much can the effigy be worth?) and trespassing. However, I am afraid the effort to prosecute is doomed from the start, considering that a woman who trespassed and vandalized an anti-war memorial in Lafayette, California, was not only not prosecuted, but lionized. Sorry I cannot answer your question in more detail, as I am far too busy setting up a gallows in my yard and hanging an effigy of that California guy you mention. And now you add to my workload! Now I also have to set up a guillotine with your effigy!