'Dog' Loses Extradition Battle in Mexico

[IRiSHMaFIA]

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) -- A federal court has cleared the way for TV bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman to be extradited to face charges in Mexico, court officials said.

Norma Jara, a spokeswoman for the second district court in Guadalajara, said the court rejected Chapman's injunction request, ruling there was no reason not to try him with the charge of deprivation of liberty of Mexico.

"We only just heard about the Mexican court's decision to continue with the extradition proceedings, and are still in shock," Chapman and his wife, Beth, said in a statement issued Thursday night in Honolulu.

"Our attorneys have not even been formally informed of the court's decision, as of yet," they said. "We are obviously deeply disappointed and fearful of what will happen, and are currently absorbing the news and discussing our options at this time."

Mexican authorities had already asked for Chapman's extradition from Hawaii.

Chapman's lawyers argued he would not be guaranteed a fair trial in Mexico, Jara said.

The charges against the 53-year-old star of the A&E reality series "Dog the Bounty Hunter" stem from his June 2003 capture of convicted rapist Andrew Luster, the Max Factor heir, in Puerto Vallarta, 210 miles west of Guadalajara.

Chapman was arrested Sept. 14 along with his son and another associate and released on $300,000 bail. He faces up to four years in a Mexican jail if convicted.

Luster's capture shot the Honolulu-based bounty hunter to fame and led to the TV series. His disappearance set off an international manhunt by police, FBI and bounty hunters trying to recoup some of the bond money. Luster is serving a 124-year prison term.

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I think he could be in deep shite over this, and it's incredible really since he got one of the worst dirtbags off the streets.

The one thing he did wrong though was to ignore his own rule, and that's to appear for your hearing. He's done what all the people he goes after are doing, and I don't see how he thought it was okay for him to do.

[faceless]

sounds like he doesn't know the difference between justice and the law.

[eefanincan]

The one thing he did wrong though was to ignore his own rule, and that's to appear for your hearing. He's done what all the people he goes after are doing, and I don't see how he thought it was okay for him to do.

I just got an email from A&E with an official response. Apparently his lawyers haven't been informed of everything and that they're still waiting offical word on this stuff..... I think it likely, that, if this is true, perhaps he wasn't advised about all of the court dates, etc.

In any case, he's not above the law, but I think the Mexican government/president is just trying to use him as an example to make him look good.

[major.tom]

I seem to remember a case where bounty hunters crossed the Canadian border with weapons and "escorted" a man back to the U.S. to stand trial. Whatever you think of Mexico, it's a sovereign country, and the piece of paper one wields to act like a cowboy in your own country means diddly squat elsewhere.