WAIMEA — The man involved with the “Freedom Ride” movement, which says licenses and registration are not needed for private vehicles, did not show up for court regarding his traffic ticket Tuesday.
WAIMEA — The man involved with the “Freedom Ride” movement, which says licenses and registration are not needed for private vehicles, did not show up for court regarding his traffic ticket Tuesday.
There is now a $150 bench warrant out for the arrest of Captain Cook resident William Gilroy.
He was due for a pretrial conference at 8:30 a.m. in front of District Judge Michael Udovic, but little about the proceedings stemming back to the day of the ticket has gone smoothly. Gilroy, 63, previously asked to change the court into a Common Law court, which he maintains is a more authoritative court but that local, state, and federal authorities don’t recognize. His objection was noted on the record.
Gilroy, among others, maintains the constitutional right to travel means people do not have to have driver’s licenses, register their cars or carry insurance, so long as the vehicle is used solely for personal transport.
This runs counter to the legal standard that driving a car is a privilege, not a right, and can therefore be more strictly controlled.
Gilroy was stopped by Officer Kimo Keliipaakua during a protest drive Jan. 2. Gilroy, who didn’t return messages seeking comment after his no-show Tuesday, previously said the officer drew a pistol during the stop, which officials previously said they would investigate and forward their findings to prosecutors.
An update on that investigation wasn’t available.
Gilroy also was involved in an investigation of his vehicle after the stop, which had a “water fuel cell” on it, a device intended to increase fuel mileage. The owner of the tow yard where the vehicle was towed thought it looked like a bomb and called police, which led to the tow yard being evacuated.
The vehicle was later released from police custody, although Gilroy demanded payment of $16,750 for its impounding. He cited a fine of $10,000 for the violation of the no trespass signs on the vehicle, $250 a day the vehicle was confiscated and $50,000 for the invention prototype.
Email Graham Milldrum at gmilldrum@westhawaiitoday.com.