Post by HeadMarshal on Jan 24, 2022 15:31:22 GMT -5
This question has been bothering me for a little while now. Over the past several years, we have noticed that a larger number of fugitives who are able to remain on the run for a long time are hiding outside the United States. This is especially true for homicide suspects. Mexico is the most common country but there are countries all around the world that fugitives flee to.
With that in mind, the issue of extraditing fugitives has come up more often in recent years. Extraditing fugitives is a complicated process that is between the Department of Justice (FBI/US Marshals), the foreign government and the state/country district attorney. The latter is the one who has to actually pay for the extradition of the fugitive. Sadly, not all fugitives can be extradited, either because the foreign country doesn't have an extradition agreement, or because the district attorney doesn't want to pay for it. We have seen this in dismissed PACER case files for Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution cases. We also saw this in the Chicago Tribune's Fugitives From Justice report.
I really feel that a lot of fugitives have never gotten publicity online or on television because there's no confidence that the fugitive can be extradited. This is probably a factor as to AMW/In Pursuit declining to profile certain cases. TV shows like AMW/In Pursuit are meant to get results in cases, and do not have any power to influence whether a fugitive can be extradited.
So if a family of a victim in one of these cases wants publicity, what are they to do? I feel that every unsolved/unresolved case deserves publicity in some way. They deserve to tell their loved one's story in their words and in a way that they can control what message they say. It's just sad that in most of these cases, the publicity will not result in a resolution.
I almost feel that these cases are best for a non-profit or support organization to deal with. Something similar to Project: Cold Case for instance (or even them if they receive more of these cases in the future). I'm not an expert in victim advocacy, but I assume families want to know that there is progress with their loved one's cases. The issue with these non-extraditable fugitives is that these cases are basically in limbo where unless someone makes an exception and the fugitive can be extradited or tried in their home country. Otherwise, nothing is going to really happen in these cases.
With that in mind, the issue of extraditing fugitives has come up more often in recent years. Extraditing fugitives is a complicated process that is between the Department of Justice (FBI/US Marshals), the foreign government and the state/country district attorney. The latter is the one who has to actually pay for the extradition of the fugitive. Sadly, not all fugitives can be extradited, either because the foreign country doesn't have an extradition agreement, or because the district attorney doesn't want to pay for it. We have seen this in dismissed PACER case files for Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution cases. We also saw this in the Chicago Tribune's Fugitives From Justice report.
I really feel that a lot of fugitives have never gotten publicity online or on television because there's no confidence that the fugitive can be extradited. This is probably a factor as to AMW/In Pursuit declining to profile certain cases. TV shows like AMW/In Pursuit are meant to get results in cases, and do not have any power to influence whether a fugitive can be extradited.
So if a family of a victim in one of these cases wants publicity, what are they to do? I feel that every unsolved/unresolved case deserves publicity in some way. They deserve to tell their loved one's story in their words and in a way that they can control what message they say. It's just sad that in most of these cases, the publicity will not result in a resolution.
I almost feel that these cases are best for a non-profit or support organization to deal with. Something similar to Project: Cold Case for instance (or even them if they receive more of these cases in the future). I'm not an expert in victim advocacy, but I assume families want to know that there is progress with their loved one's cases. The issue with these non-extraditable fugitives is that these cases are basically in limbo where unless someone makes an exception and the fugitive can be extradited or tried in their home country. Otherwise, nothing is going to really happen in these cases.
