HR29

WHEREAS, justice is a determinant of the sovereign political systems of all nations, and international disputes arise when two jurisdictions conflict or fail to agree upon the best course of action; and

WHEREAS, a present jurisdictional dispute exits between the United States and Mexico surrounding the action of Duane "Dog" Chapman who in June 2003 traveled to Mexico to apprehend a convicted American rapist, Andrew Luster, the Max Factor heir; and

WHEREAS, Luster was a convicted rapist who had fled from California six months earlier by jumping $1 million bond on charges that he drugged and raped three women; and

WHEREAS, Luster's disappearance sparked an international manhunt by police, FBI and bounty hunters trying to recoup some of the bond money; and

WHEREAS, Mexico has requested extradition of Chapman after charging him with felony kidnapping, and "deprivation of liberty" for the capture and return of Luster to the United Sates; and

WHEREAS, Chapman was arrested in his Hawaii home in September, 2006 by U.S. Marshals and was freed on $300,000 bail, and has been fighting extradition to Mexico, where if convicted he and his son Leland and Tim Chapman (all of whom were involved in the capture of Lester) could be required to spend up to 4 years in a Mexican jail; and

WHEREAS, Luster is now serving a 124-year sentence in California; and

WHEREAS, Duane Chapman has never been paid for Luster's capture, and has offered to apologize to the Mexican government, and

WHEREAS, Chapman believed he could legally arrest Luster based on the fact that Luster had entered Mexico under a false name; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the legislature of the state of Hawaii in full support of the plight of Duane "Dog" Chapman requests that the President and Congress of Mexico and the Second District Court of Guadalajara drop charges of extradition and allow this international dispute to be amicably solved by virtue of the justice that has been served in the United States against rapist Luster by the brave actions of Hawaii resident, Duane "Dog" Chapman; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of Mexico, the Second District Court in Guadalajara, Mexico, President George W. Bush, U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, Organization of American States and each member of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Mexico Extradition; Duane "Dog" Chapman

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	29
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII