A Georgia man found himself in handcuffs after charging his electric car outside a middle school where his son was playing tennis in what police alleged was unlawful “theft” of county power worth roughly five cents.


'Theft of power' lands electric-car driver in jail - U.S. News (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/04/21756802-theft-of-power-lands-electric-car-driver-in-jail?lite)

Just like the California lady given a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving, laws occasionally aren't up to date. Arrest was way overkill, IMO, but as electric and hydrogen vehicles become more common, these issues should be addressed.

A Georgia man found himself in handcuffs after charging his electric car outside a middle school where his son was playing tennis in what police alleged was unlawful “theft” of county power worth roughly five cents.


'Theft of power' lands electric-car driver in jail - U.S. News (http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/04/21756802-theft-of-power-lands-electric-car-driver-in-jail?lite)

So what's your take on this? Would you mind if I hooked up electric lines to your house?

The thief said, "Of course I agree that theft is theft, what I don’t agree with is that every taking of something without permission is theft.”

So where do we draw the line? Who determines if taking something without permission is or isn't a theft?

So what's your take on this? Would you mind if I hooked up electric lines to your house?

The thief said, "Of course I agree that theft is theft, what I don’t agree with is that every taking of something without permission is theft.”

So where do we draw the line? Who determines if taking something without permission is or isn't a theft?

Sometimes I plug my laptop into outlets when I'm at government buildings. Better arrest me.

I'd like to know what (if he's charged) statute he's going to be charged under. I don't see that it could be larceny, which would require the taking away of personal property, which I don't think you can call electricity personal property.

I'd like to know what (if he's charged) statute he's going to be charged under. I don't see that it could be larceny, which would require the taking away of personal property, which I don't think you can call electricity personal property.

This certainly is an issue that has yet to be adequately addressed in laws, but the school district had to pay for that electricity. It's also not right to go to the school and take chairs.

I can see the school asking him to not use their power or ask him to reimburse them but to have him arrested is way over the top.

Midtowner,
Just turn your electric meter at your home upside and you will learn very quickly that electricity is personal/business property. I have a friend that did it and they can prosecute you and will if you are caught doing it more than once. I don't remember the charge (no pun intended) that OG&E listed in their letter but it is illegal. On topic, I think arresting the man was pretty ridiculous, they should have issued him a written warning and maybe verbally abused him a little, and let it go at that.
C. T.
I'd like to know what (if he's charged) statute he's going to be charged under. I don't see that it could be larceny, which would require the taking away of personal property, which I don't think you can call electricity personal property.

Good grief how ridiculous. What a total waste of man power. What's wrong with cops these days? Geeze, if you have an unlocked external outlet on property freely accessible to the general public then common sense tells you that somebody is going to plug into it. Holy smokes it would be like arresting someone for using a water fountain because you know water isn't free. Perspective.

Perhaps the man charging his electric car with county electric power should have been charged with "battery."

Sometimes I plug my laptop into outlets when I'm at government buildings. Better arrest me.


I can see the school asking him to not use their power or ask him to reimburse them but to have him arrested is way over the top.
For the record, I agree that an arrest was an extreme overreaction to this incident — a warning would have been more appropriate. However, I was reacting more to the attitude that he doesn't agree that every taking of something without permission is theft.

Technically it's no different from the renter of an apartment or duplex plugging in their power to a neighboring unit.

However, this could have been resolved by just telling the guy not to do it again without permission. This is no different than someone plugging in their phone to charge it.

If I were the school district, I would use it as a money making opportunity for the school. Install a few power boxes in the parking lot and charge a small fee to use them.

I'm not sure that analogy really is the best one. Why wouldn't this be like walking into a Starbucks with a laptop, setting down at a table, noticing a power plug nearby, and plugging into it. Is that theft? I've never really thought about it but when does anyone ever ask permission to do that. It's just assumed to be okay.

It doesn't seem nearly to me as clear cut of a topic as the cop thinks it is. If in one scenario power plugs left out in the open are assumed to be communal, but in others they are not, then how is that decided? What was the intent? Sounds like an interesting court case.

I'm not sure that analogy really is the best one. Why wouldn't this be like walking into a Starbucks with a laptop, setting down at a table, noticing a power plug nearby, and plugging into it. Is that theft? I've never really thought about it but when does anyone ever ask permission to do that. It's just assumed to be okay.

It doesn't seem nearly to me as clear cut of a topic as the cop thinks it is. If in one scenario power plugs left out in the open are assumed to be communal, but in others they are not, then how is that decided? What was the intent? Sounds like an interesting court case.

True. We are not talking about someone's private residence or a private business. This is a facility owned by the tax payers. An arrest was not warranted. If they had signs up or the power plug was behind a fence or secure panel then we might have a crime here. Should he have asked permission? Yes. Does he need to be arrested, pay fines and possibly do time? No. Then again this is also the same state where a school cop arrested a Dad because he did not want to wait until the cars processed through to WALK his kid home from school.

Back in the early 90's, I had to have Orkin come out and do some treatment at the home I was living in at the time. The previous owner had a contract with them, and it transferred with the home when I bought it. I was their first stop in the morning and when they got there, they asked to borrow my garden hose. I didn't think anything about it, but when I came outside, they had my hose ran out to their truck and they were adding their chemicals and filling up the big tank on their route truck for the whole day. I asked them if they always fill up their trucks on the customer's water, and he said, "yes. Water is only about 5 cents a hundred gallons, so it's no big deal"

I got ticked off because that made me pay for all their other stops down the line. I didn't care if it was 5 cents or 5 dollars a 100 gallons. If it was no big deal then why didn't they fill up at their shop first? If they have several route trucks and they do that on every truck every time they fill up, they're saving money, right? ... it boiled down to the fact that they should have asked me first. Just taking it without asking first is theft.

Same with the electric car deal. No, he should not have gone to jail, but he should have asked first.

the guy was arrested for taking 10-15¢ worth of electricity. i haven't read anywhere that the school system even wanted to press charges. i think the proper thing to do here would've been to have the guy unplug the car and advise him not to do it again. -M

To those posters who opine that he should have asked someone for permission, who should he have asked that would have been in a position to give him permission? The article said it was a Saturday morning tennis practice. I don't think a coach would have had that authority. Seems like a civil matter, with the heavy hand of the police coming down on someone for no apparent reason. Protect and serve my azz.

I got this from a friend and I haven't validated it so take it for what it's worth.....

This mans son does NOT attend the school. The man was actually using the schools tennis courts for his OWN private lessons..and had plugged in MULTIPLE times. He was also instructed by the school to NOT be on their property. When the officer arrived (after receiving a 911 call) the guy became very arrogant and entitled The officer asked the man if he had permission to plug in and the man responded, "do u you have permission to pollute the air with your squad car?". The man did not live in the town and so it being considered a minor theft required a warrant which took time.

The article doesn't mention anything about the coach, but Kamooneh could have at least asked the coach, since he was the one in charge on the grounds that day.

Somebody had to call and complain about the infraction.


What caught my eye was that the officer "could not find the owner, but found the car unlocked and picked up a piece of mail on the car's floor showing the owner's address"

What ever happened to running a tag number? It may be a non issue, but something stinks about that.

I've plugged in my phone at my son's school several times, when I've been there for a booster club meeting or other event. Oops?

at the Centennial downtown part of the monthly dues go into a generic fund like landscaping, electricity, and maintenance. 4 or 5 people have gotten electric cars recently that are always plugged into the outlets that are part of general maintenance, and got real sore with HOA when told they had to pay extra due to electric bills increasing.

really doesn't have to do with OP but goes to show some people don't get it and want others to pay to charge their cars.

I got this from a friend and I haven't validated it so take it for what it's worth.....

This mans son does NOT attend the school. The man was actually using the schools tennis courts for his OWN private lessons..and had plugged in MULTIPLE times. He was also instructed by the school to NOT be on their property. When the officer arrived (after receiving a 911 call) the guy became very arrogant and entitled The officer asked the man if he had permission to plug in and the man responded, "do u you have permission to pollute the air with your squad car?". The man did not live in the town and so it being considered a minor theft required a warrant which took time.

would have been ironic if he got tasered

at the Centennial downtown part of the monthly dues go into a generic fund like landscaping, electricity, and maintenance. 4 or 5 people have gotten electric cars recently that are always plugged into the outlets that are part of general maintenance, and got real sore with HOA when told they had to pay extra due to electric bills increasing.

really doesn't have to do with OP but goes to show some people don't get it and want others to pay to charge their cars.

Employees where I work have recently requested outlets be installed to allow them to charge their cars at work. I see no flaw with that as long as they're charged for the service. Otherwise, I want my work to provide free gasoline, too.

Employees where I work have recently requested outlets be installed to allow them to charge their cars at work. I see no flaw with that as long as they're charged for the service. Otherwise, I want my work to provide free gasoline, too.

5 cents worth of gas per hour?

I got this from a friend and I haven't validated it so take it for what it's worth.....

This mans son does NOT attend the school. The man was actually using the schools tennis courts for his OWN private lessons..and had plugged in MULTIPLE times. He was also instructed by the school to NOT be on their property. When the officer arrived (after receiving a 911 call) the guy became very arrogant and entitled The officer asked the man if he had permission to plug in and the man responded, "do u you have permission to pollute the air with your squad car?". The man did not live in the town and so it being considered a minor theft required a warrant which took time.
From what I have read, it took over 7 days for a warrant to be issued.

5 cents worth of gas per hour?

Or one day's worth of gas. They would be receiving operating costs for their chosen mode of transportation, why not make that equitable?

Or one day's worth of gas. They would be receiving operating costs for their chosen mode of transportation, why not make that equitable?

Good point... they will just tell you to get an electric car lol