by Robert J. Hansen
Woodland, CA – On the eve of the primary election which will decide whether Yolo County 
elects incumbent Jeff Reisig for a fifth term as District Attorney or goes in a new direction with Cynthia Rodriguez, voters should know the story of Paul Fullerton.
Fullerton was born and raised in Yolo County and was a firefighter for 25 years before a severe injury forced him into retirement.
The injury left him with twelve screws and three plates holding his spine together.
His pain management doctor and orthopedic surgeon suggested he use cannabis which made his life “manageable.”
“Without cannabis, I can barely move in the morning,” Fullerton said in a video released in 2018.
Cultivation of medical cannabis was adopted by Yolo County in March 2016.
He then opened a plant supply store in Woodland called Lil’ Shop of Growers, catering to the gardeners and cannabis growers of Yolo County.
Because there were rumors of cannabis being sold out of his store, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, led by Jeff Reisig, began investigating Fullerton.
This is despite support from several Yolo County Supervisors, the Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, and his community.
“I had no reason to sell cannabis in my shop,” Fullerton said. “Everyone who comes into my shop who is a grower has cannabis,” Fullerton said.
Paul even contacted the Woodland Police Department several times, offering to give them complete access to his business and records.
Police told him not to worry and that they had not received any complaints about his business.
Police raided his business and home.
“It was a full-blown like you’d see on T.V. raid,” Fullerton said.
Fullerton’s wife was at home when police raided his home.
“My wife who was home alone, they proceeded to blow down my door, throw her on the ground, put a boot on the back of her head, and put an AR-15 to her head,” Fullerton said.
Fullerton says it angers him to think about what happened to his wife because it should have never happened.
Police uncovered no information but took his young daughter into protective services.
“My daughter is five years old,” Fullerton said. “For 25 years, people handed me their babies, their children without a doubt and they took my daughter away from myself and my wife for ten days.”
Fullerton and his wife were charged with five felonies.
They were charged with a weapons charge, child endangerment, felony intent to sell, intent to distribute and cultivation with intent to sell and distribute.
The weapons charge was dropped because Fullerton had a receipt proving the weapon was legal.
Paul and his wife spent nearly $300,000 on bail, lawyers, and court fees while they fought the charges for over two years.
“We basically ran out of money,” Fullerton said. “I decided to plead to drop all charges on my wife.”
Fullerton pleaded to three misdemeanors.
He said he never thought about the district attorney before his business was raided and supported by Jeff Reisig.
“But never in a million years would I support anything he does,” Fullerton said. “What he does to other people and me, ruins families without any interpretation of what the ramification is going to be. There’s something very, very wrong with that picture.”
Fullerton supported Reisig’s 2018 challenger Dean Johansson and, in this election, he donated to and supports Cynthia Rodriguez for Yolo County District Attorney.
Cynthia Rodriguez should be ashamed at the amount of deceitful mudslinging her campaign is doing in the last days of her campaign. Her mailer stated one lie after another and resorted to repulsive and false accusations. Here we have another hit piece full of inaccuracies. She would make a terrible D.A. We need a D.A. with honor and integrity.
Cynthia Rodriguez has been accused of taking money form George Soros, supporters of Cynthia Rodriguez have been called child molesters, she has been called soft on crime. A most recent campaign flyer (I’ve received about 6 12X9″four color flyers) from the Reisig campaign claims that Cynthia’s endorsement from Smart Justice is merely a front for SF billionaires. All of this is either false or misleading.
Smart Justice is a coalition of business and government leaders that promote evidence based law enforcement. When possible, less incarceration, more diversion and more training reduces jail time and increases safety and improves our economy because people are put back to work and not back in jail.
For some folks, nothing about Cynthia’s 40 years of experience as prosecutor or a public defender will impress. Some folks might be too far removed from the harm caused by overcharging, multiple sentencing and high recidivism that does not make us safer and would rather put more dollars into more incarceration.
Jeff Reisig is a dedicated prosecutor and so is Cynthia Rodriguez. I believe that Yolo voters want to move our Yolo County to a system of safe, strong law enforcement that Cynthia knows works best for everyone.
Cynthia has been overwhelming positive in her campaign for District Attorney which speaks to the deep commitment she has to all the people in Yolo county. Cynthia Rodriguez will serve Yolo County with honor and integrity.