(PAXTANG) - Voters here approved a referendum in Tuesday's primary election that calls for Ida Mae Gallagher, 84, to die by lethal injection for failing to take down her Christmas decorations.
"She's left them up year-round for the past five years, and we just got sick of it," said neighbor Harold Webster. He gathered the 500 signatures required for the question to appear on Tuesday's ballot. It was approved 623-277.
District Attorney Ed Marsico said the referendum is legally binding. But he noted that neighbors "rarely use it to impose the death penalty on one another." He added, "It's a true example of democracy in action -- I guess."
"In my defense, they don't really look that bad," Gallagher said of her decorations, which include blue icicle lights that hang from her gutters and a replica of Santa's sleigh being pulled by 24 reindeer.
Gallagher said she may appeal the results of the referendum in Dauphin County Court. "I'm going to try to scrape the money together to pay an attorney. But if I can't, I guess I'm screwed."
"She's left them up year-round for the past five years, and we just got sick of it," said neighbor Harold Webster. He gathered the 500 signatures required for the question to appear on Tuesday's ballot. It was approved 623-277.
District Attorney Ed Marsico said the referendum is legally binding. But he noted that neighbors "rarely use it to impose the death penalty on one another." He added, "It's a true example of democracy in action -- I guess."
"In my defense, they don't really look that bad," Gallagher said of her decorations, which include blue icicle lights that hang from her gutters and a replica of Santa's sleigh being pulled by 24 reindeer.
Gallagher said she may appeal the results of the referendum in Dauphin County Court. "I'm going to try to scrape the money together to pay an attorney. But if I can't, I guess I'm screwed."
