Duane 'Dog' Chapman - Set to Be Extradited to Mexico
According to the Associated Press, Duane "Dog" Chapman's request not be extradited to Mexico on charges of deprivation of liberty has been denied. According to a spokesperson from the second district court of Guadalajara, they have found no reason not to try him for the charge. When asked for their reaction to the ruling, Chapman and his wife Beth issued a statement saying, "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."
Duane Chapman's attorneys had stated that they do not believe that Chapman will receive a fair trial in Mexico. Duane was arrested in September 2006 and posted a $300,000 bond to remain in Hawaii. The charges stem from the capture by Chapman of Andrew Luster, heir to Max Factor Cosmetics. Luster, a convicted rapist, had skipped bond. Luster was on the run from both the FBI and bounty hunters looking to recoup part of the bond. He was captured by Chapman, his son, and another bounty hunter in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico, in July of 2003 and brought back to the U.S., where he is currently serving a life sentence.
Dog Chapman, 53, gained fame after the Luster capture and became the star of his own reality show, "Dog the Bounty Hunter" on the A&E channel. On his show, Dog and his family, including his wife Beth , run the family bail bonds business throughout Hawaii. A reformed ex-con and a born-again Christian, Dog is an all-business bounty hunter, but shows his understanding to wayward criminals, going so far as to offer help with rehab and jobs after their arrests.
If convicted, Chapman could face up to four years in prison.
_____________________________
Dog the Bounty Hunter's Charges Dropped
August 2, 2007
Duane Chapman still may face charges if ruling is appealed
The dog just may have a new leash on life.
Duane "Dog" Chapman, his son Leland Chapman and fellow bounty hunter Tim Chapman (no relation) have had the Mexican charges dropped against them after they tracked down and apprehended a convicted criminal in Puerto Vallarta in 2003, reports TMZ.com.
The dog and his pack aren't out of the woods just yet though.
"Earlier this week the First Criminal Court in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico dismissed all charges against Dog, Tim and Leland Chapman due to the expiration of the statute of limitations on the criminal counts pending against them," reads a statement A&E, the network that airs the popular "Dog the Bounty Hunter" show, gave to TMZ. "The order effectively cancelled all pending charges. The ruling is, however, subject to appeal by the prosecution in Puerto Vallarta. If an appeal is sought, it must be filed by Wednesday, August 8th. Our thoughts and best wishes are with the Chapman family as they await the prosecution's decision. More information will be posted on AETV.com as it becomes available."
The various Chapmans were arrested in Hawaii in September 2006 on kidnapping charges dating back to 2003 when the bounty hunters went down to Mexico to capture Max Factor heir Andrew Luster, who was on the run for several months evading multiple counts of rape. Mexican authorities wanted Luster handed over to them, denied Chapman and his gang permission to leave the country, declared them fugitives from justice and tried to get them extradited to Mexico for sentencing.
The Chapmans, who had been charged with deprivation of liberty due to Mexico's anti-bounty hunting laws, quickly posted bail and have been facing extradition ever since. Luster is currently in jail serving a 124-year term.
_____________________________
DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER'S RACIST RANT -- CAUGHT ON TAPE!
Nov. 1, 2007
Dog Chapman has been captured spewing foul-mouthed racist slurs on a tape obtained exclusively by The NATIONAL ENQUIRER.
And now a civil rights leader is calling for Dog's TV show to be removed from the airwaves.
In a shocking world exclusive The ENQUIRER has obtained tapes of two revolting phone conversations in which Duane "Dog" Chapman unleashes a filthy bigoted attack, littered with the N-word and other disgusting racial insults.
The star of the A&E reality show Dog, The Bounty Hunter directed his racist hatred at his son Tucker's girlfriend Monique Shinnery, who is black.
"Dog Chapman should not have a show. That show should be taken off the air!"
That's the opinion of prominent civil rights leader Roy Innis, who has served as the chairman of the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) since 1968. Innis was shocked and outraged when The ENQUIRER played Dog Chapman's racist telephone conversations for him.
"This man should not be held up as a role model for children," Innis told The ENQUIRER. "He has venom deep in his soul. This is a picture of his heart — a revelation of his true nature.
Innis believes that cable network A&E needs to take swift action in response to Dog's vicious outburst.
"He needs to answer for his behavior," says Innis.
"When someone gets the opportunity to use the airwaves, he becomes a role model, whether he likes it or not. Dog Chapman should not be in that position, posing as a good guy.
"His comments show that he certainly is not a good guy."
Update: In response to this story, A&E network has released a statement saying: "A&E has just learned of the story released by the National Enquirer concerning Duane Dog Chapman. We take this matter very seriously. Pending an investigation, we have suspended production on the series. When the inquiry is concluded we will take appropriate action."
_____________________________
A&E TV Network pulls 'Dog' series from schedule
11/2/07
HONOLULU - Television bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman's show has been pulled from the air indefinitely by A&E, two days after a private phone conversation in which the reality star used a racial slur repeatedly was posted online.
"In evaluating the circumstances of the last few days, A&E has decided to take `Dog The Bounty Hunter' off the network's schedule for the foreseeable future," the network said in a statement Friday. "We hope that Mr. Chapman continues the healing process that he has begun."
A&E officials said the series, one of the network's top-rated programs, has not been canceled.
Chapman, 54, has been under fire and accused of being a racist ever since the private conversation with his son, Tucker Chapman, was posted online Wednesday by The National Enquirer. Chapman used the N-word repeatedly about his son's black girlfriend.
At least two advertisers have pulled out from the show and civil rights groups have called for the show's cancellation.
Soon after the clip was posted, Chapman issued an apology and A&E suspended production of the series.
In the conversation, Chapman urges Tucker to break up with his girlfriend. He also expresses concern about the girlfriend trying to tape and go public about the TV star's use of the N-word.
Chapman has said he was "disappointed in his choice of a friend, not due to her race, but her character. However, I should have never used that term." He also said he was ashamed of himself and pledged to make amends.
His attorney, Brook Hart said his client is not a racist and vowed never to use the word again.
_____________________________
Duane `Dog' Chapman off the hook in Mexico
Nov. 6, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO - Television bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman, who had his reality show taken off the air after getting caught using a racial slur, will not be extradited to Mexico to face a pending appeal of kidnapping charges against him, a judge ruled Monday.
The U.S. government had been trying to send Chapman, his son Leland Chapman and a third man to the resort town of Puerto Vallarta, where they were charged with kidnapping Andrew Luster, a Max Factor heir who had jumped a $1 million bond on charges that he drugged and raped three women.
Luster's disappearance during his trial in California set off an international manhunt by police, FBI and bounty hunters trying to recoup some of the bond money. In June 2003, Chapman and the others apprehended Luster, and the fugitive was taken back to the United States to serve the 124-year sentence he was given while on the lam.
But because bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico, prosecutors in that country charged the three with kidnapping and asked U.S. authorities to arrest the trio and ship them to Puerto Vallarta.
A Mexican judge dismissed the kidnapping charges in July, ruling that Mexican prosecutors had taken too long in their attempts to bring the trio to trial. But Mexican prosecutors appealed the ruling, and the U.S. attorney's office in Honolulu, where the senior Chapman lives, declined to dismiss the extradition proceedings pending the outcome.
Still, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren in Honolulu on Monday dismissed the extradition attempt because the judge said the three are no longer charged with any offenses, despite the appeal.
"I don't think they have any regrets whatsoever in facilitating the capture of Mr. Luster, who is a known and convicted rapist," his San Francisco lawyer, James Quadra, said Monday. "Though this has been a difficult process, they are proud of what they have done."
Quadra declined to comment on the tempest that Chapman created last week when he was caught on tape using the racial epithet.
A&E pulled Chapman's show "Dog the Bounty Hunter" from the air indefinitely after a private phone conversation between the reality star and his son was posted online.
Chapman, 54, has been under fire since The National Enquirer posted a clip of Chapman using a slur repeatedly in reference to his son's black girlfriend. Chapman apologized and vowed to never utter the word again, but at least two advertisers have pulled out from the show, and civil rights groups have called for its cancellation.
|
