|
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
Mexico Abets U.S. Fugitives NewsMax.com WiresHOUSTON - U.S. officials fear that a recent Mexican Supreme Court ruling will hinder prosecution of more than 100 U.S. fugitives in Mexico. In the ruling Oct. 2, the court ruled that Mexican residents cannot be extradited if they are charged with crimes in other countries that could receive a life sentence. The decision could hamper the extradition of about 55 U.S. fugitives jailed in Mexico and 100 others believed to be living there, a Justice Department official said in Wednesday's Houston Chronicle. Federal and state prosecutors are concerned that they will have to reduce a suspect's possible punishment to get extradition from Mexico, the newspaper said. Murder suspects, for example, might have to be prosecuted for manslaughter, an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington told the Chronicle. He said federal and state sentencing guidelines might have to be changed. But legal scholars said legislation might not be necessary to assure the Mexican government that suspects will not face life in prison. Jordan Paust, a law professor at the University of Houston Law Center, said an executive agreement signed by the president might be a way of assuring Mexico a suspect would not face a life sentence. He said such assurances were common and could amend extradition treaties. Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, the chief prosecutor in Houston, said the Mexican court ruling might not affect some Texas cases. A person sentence to "life in prison" in Texas can actually get out in 60 years with good behavior. Rosenthal said his office could explain that to Mexican authorities to win extradition. "If it is a situation where we think the sentence requires life in prison, we won't waive that possibility," he said. U.S. officials have always had difficulty extraditing U.S. murder suspects facing the death penalty from Mexico because the government opposes the death sentence. Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved.
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
A product that might interest you: |
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
| All Rights Reserved © 2008 NewsMax.Com |