Looks like Noriega's lawyers will have an all-nighter tonight -- Judge Hoeveler gave them until 9AM tomorrow morning to back up their claim that Noriega wouldn't be treated properly under the Geneva Convention.
From the AP:
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the extradition of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega, giving his lawyers time to present "credible evidence" that he would not receive Geneva Conventions protections if sent to France.
Noriega's lawyers had asked Senior U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler to stop the extradition to France, where he will face money laundering charges after his scheduled release from U.S. prison this weekend.
Defense attorneys have argued that Noriega should be sent back to Panama because he is a prisoner of war due the protections of the Geneva Conventions. They claim that there is "substantial reason" to believe that France instead intends to treat Noriega as a "common criminal."
Noriega's attorneys have until 9 a.m. Thursday to make their case, Hoeveler said. Federal prosecutors will then have until noon that day to respond, the judge ruled.
The SDFLA Blog is dedicated to providing news and notes regarding federal practice in the Southern District of Florida. The New Times calls the blog "the definitive source on South Florida's federal court system." All tips on court happenings are welcome and will remain anonymous. Please email David Markus at dmarkus@markuslaw.com
Very interesting. I hope you'll report on the outcome of the hearing.
ReplyDeleteDavid, do you have any of your own trials coming up soon?
ReplyDeleteI think we should tell France to pound salt - they refuse to extradite an accused murderer to the US, because he claims dual citizenship:
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is again pressing for France to extradite a man accused of killing a Chicago doctor.
In a meeting in his Capitol office, Durbin asked newly appointed French ambassador, Pierre Vimonto (vi-MOH), to push for France reconsider its decision against extraditing dual-citizen Hans Peterson.
Peterson turned himself in to French authorities last month. He's to be tried in a French court in the 2006 killing of Dr. David Cornbleet.
An arrest warrant was issued in Chicago, but French officials won't extradite Peterson because he's a French citizen.
Durbin says the French government must exercise the discretion it has under a treaty and allow Peterson to face prosecution in the U.S.