By now most people who follow the TV reality show "Bounty Hunter" know that Duane "Dog" Chapman was arrested this week on a three-year old Mexican charge. Now, I don't know Dog or his family (I have never needed a bail bond), but I do like to watch the show, and given that Oahu is a small island I have seen the Chapmans doing what they do from time to time.
On the surface, Dog's case looks pretty open and shut. Some years back, Andrew Luster, heir to the Max Factor fortune, was doing a lot of dating. And on those dates he would drug the women with gammahydroxybutrate, one of the so-called 'date rape' drugs, and have sex with them. He was charged with rape, and posted a bond while waiting trial. Then, Andrew jumped bond and headed to Mexico.
Because of the high profile nature of the case and because of the high bounty offered for his capture, Luster became the dream catch for every bounty hunter in the US. Luster in chains would make the reputation of the man who caught him.
So, Duane "Dog" Chapman, Leland Chapman, and Tim Chapman (no relation) flew down to Mexico and tracked Andrew Luster down. So far, so good. But there was a snag. Bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico. The local police wanted Luster turned over to them. Setting aside that Chapman hadn't done all the work tracking Luster down to turn the publicity over to the Mexican police, there was a very real possibility that because of his wealth, Luster would be able to gain his release from the Mexican authorities.
In the ensuing 'debate' the Mexican police arrested the Chapmans for kidnapping. The Chapmans posted bond, then skipped on their bond and headed home.
To this point, the hard fact is that the Chapmans are in the wrong. They above all people should know what happens when you jump bail. It is a crime, both in Mexico and the US.
But as of this writing,. the case has started to take on political dimensions. Dog's supporters are quick to point out that Mexico can hardly demand extradition of Dog when Mexico routinely refuses to extradite criminals wanted by the US authorities. Then there is the issue of Mexico's willful complicity in the flow of illegal aliens across our southern border. Mexico clearly does not respect US laws, therefore (so the argument goes) we should not return the favor.
Finally, some observers have raised the question of whether bounty hunting is really illegal in Mexico. Under the terms of the NAFTA agreement, certain laws in all the signing countries are supposed to be brought into accord with each other. What is legal in one nation is legal in all, what is a crime in one is a crime in all.
As I said above, this is no longer a simple matter of the law. The Dog Chapman arrest has taken on a political dimension. Rita Cosby has gone public with speculations of what deal making has been going on with the Mexican government that caused them to take a sudden interest in a three-year old case. Other pundits suggest that Andrew Luster's family is simply out to avenge their convict cousin.
But there is one final aspect that makes this a political rather than a legal matter. Under the law, the final say on whether to grant extradition rests with the United States Secretary of State. That's Condi Rice, who may be realizing that a little good will is not a bad thing when the boss is facing a tough election season. Whatever reasons Condi may have for acceding to Mexican requests for extradition, she has a really good one for refusing.
All of Dog's fans (above the age of 21) are voters.
Poster Comment:
Smells like White House, Black Dogs.