A California couple who hung a controversial effigy of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin from a noose off the side of their house have removed the display under pressure from city officials.

As The Ticket reported yesterday, the hanging mannequin generated international notorie ty, as well as an appeal from the mayor of West Hollywood to remove the likeness that many saw as a hate crime.



ChadMichael Morrisette, the man who constructed the mannequin as part of a Halloween display, told The Times that he decided to remove the Palin mannequin on Wednesday after meeting with West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang. Originally he'd vowed to keep the display up until Saturday.

Earlier in the day, about half a dozen of Morrisette's neighbors had protested the display and tried to block it from the view of passing motorists, according to Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Times reporters Raja Abdulrahim and Andrew Blankstein will have more on the story at latimes.com later tonight and The Ticket will update as necessary.

-- Kate Linthicum

Get individual alerts of each new Ticket item sent straight to your cellphone by registering here free.

Photo credit: A portrait of Mito Aviles (left) and Chad-Michael Morrisette in front of what they called a Halloween decoration, which included a caricature of VP candidate Sarah Palin hanging with a noose around her neck / Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times