(Portsmouth, RI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union says a federal judge has approved a settlement which stops a Rhode Island town from enforcing an ordinance banning political signs on residential property. A Portsmouth resident, Michael DiPaola, had been in a feud with the town about zoning issues and placed a number of signs on his property that were critical of the town earlier this year. The suit was filed after DiPaola said he was threatened with daily fines if he did not take down the signs. The ACLU says this was an important victory for free speech.