If there is no law, there is no crime
Unless you live in California.
Paul Pearson lives in California.
Mr. Pearson makes a living converting gas and diesel powered vehicles to plug-in electrics.
There is no law regulating said conversions in the state of California. But that did not stop the the state DMV and the City of Santa Monica from arresting him and dragging him into court for, supposedly, illegally “remanufacturing” vehicles.
Last week, Paul Pearson went back to court. It was the fifth time he’s been in front of a judge because of a police sting last December over the electric car conversions he was doing in his garage.
…..
According to Pearson, the prosecutor asked that the charge against Pearson be amended to reflect only “agreement” that Pearson would convert a gas-only Ford Thunderbird to all-electric drive (again, see our original post here). Pearson and his lawyer had the prosecutor talk to Rodney Aoki at the Sacramento DMV, who said there is no law on the books saying converting cars to electric drive is illegal.
The whole case now rests upon whether or not the Pearson’s website uses the word “manufacture”. He says it doesn’t and the City hasn’t been able to prove that it does.
Gunnies aren’t the only ones who have to worry about the “arrest first, figure out the charge later” mentality.
