It may not have as many twists and turns as the Anna Nicole Smith saga, but the legal wranglings popular Hawaii-based bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman currently faces is enough to make anyone’s head spin.
Chapman is the star of TV’s reality series “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” however his star status may be in jeopardy now that a federal court cleared the way for him to be extradited to Mexico to face charges that he illegally arrested Max Factor makeup heir and convicted rapist Andrew Luster in 2003.
According to a Honolulu newspaper, the decision can still be appealed, but things are not looking good for the beloved bounty hunter.
“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 last week.
“Our attorneys have not even been formally informed of the court’s decision, as of yet. We are obviously deeply disappointed and fearful of what will happen, and are currently absorbing the news and discussing our options at this time.”
According to the paper, Hawaii authorities said they are willing to allow Chapman to remain in the state (where he continues to film his hit TV show) on bail until all his appeals in the Mexican courts are exhausted. Chapman’s attorneys also added that even if their client loses in Mexico, they plan to fight extradition in the American courts. In the meantime, Chapman’s attorneys say they are “relying on the Mexican judicial system to do the right thing by exonerating our clients.”
The whole series of events, which led to the 53-year-old reality TV star being charged stems from his June 2003 capture of Luster in Puerto Vallarta. Luster had fled to Mexico to avoid trial. Chapman found him and Luster was later returned to the U.S. to serve out a 124-year prison term. Luster’s capture shot the Honolulu-based bounty hunter to fame and led to the TV series. But, later, Mexican authorities arrested Chapman for allegedly illegally capturing Luster. Chapman is now free on $300,000 bail, and faces up to four years in a Mexican jail if convicted. Mexican attorneys speculate that if Chapman is found guilty it is unlikely he would face the maximum penalty. They added that illegal detention is a relatively minor crime in Mexico, and that if Chapman is convicted; he would likely only have to pay a fine of several hundred dollars.
Related Articles:
“Dog” Remains Unleashed-For Now
“Dog” Out Of Jail, But On Tight Leash
Update: “Dog” Looking To Cut A Deal