'Dog' ChapmanBy Ken Kobayashi Advertiser Staff WriterAttorneys for Duane "Dog" Chapman announced today that they've madeprogress in trying to resolve the bounty hunter's pending criminalcharge in Mexico.William Bollard of Irvine, Calif., said a Mexican court has issued anorder halting criminal proceedings on Chapman's deprivation of libertycharge related to Chapman catching convicted rapist and fugitiveAndrew Lester in Mexico three years ago.He said he is seeking dismissal of the charge, which would result inthe Mexican government withdrawing its request to have Chapmanextradited to Mexico.At a news conference, Chapman thanked his supporters and said he hopesthe matter can be resolved so he can return to Mexico to "chase downfugitives.""These guys know where we can't find them," Chapman said.Chapman's extradition case won't be heard in federal courts here untilnext year.Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Oct/20/br/br2871530649.html
Friday, October 20, 2006
DOG LEGAL PROCEDDINGS STAYED!!!!
Sources close to the Duane "Dog" Chapman legal case tell TMZ that the Mexican courts have put a stay on further legal proceedings in the bounty hunter's matter. Meanwhile, the reality star's legal team is gathering more evidence as to his actions while in Mexico, and sources tell TMZ that when the evidence is presented, the Mexican court is expected to rule "favorably." Chapman's saga began last month when he was arrested along with two cohorts, including his son Leland, in Mexico on charges of illegal detention and conspiracy in connection with his apprenhension of convicted rapist and Max Factor heir Andrew Luster. (Bounty hunting is a crime in Mexico.) The Mexican government wanted Chapman extradited to face the charges, which could lead to a prison term of up to four years.In an effort to avoid extradition, the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" star offered shortly after his arrest to apologize to Mexico, to pay a fine, to forfeit the bail he posted in the country, and to make a charitable contribution.
What does a STAY mean?
The act of temporarily stopping a judicial proceeding through the order of a court.A stay is a suspension of a case or a suspension of a particular proceeding within a case. A judge may grant a stay on the motion of a party to the case or issue a stay sua sponte, without the request of a party. Courts will grant a stay in a case when it is necessary to secure the rights of a party.There are two main types of stays: a stay of execution and a stay of proceedings. A stay of execution postpones the enforcement of a judgment against a litigant who has lost a case, called the judgment debtor. In other words, if a civil litigant wins money damages or some other form of relief, he may not collect the damages or receive the relief if the court issues a stay. Under rule 62 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, every civil judgment is stayed for ten days after it is rendered. An additional stay of execution lasts only for a limited period. It usually is granted when the judgment debtor appeals the case, but a court may grant a stay of execution in any case in which the court feels the stay is necessary to secure or protect the rights of the judgment debtor.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
BREAKING NEWS....PRESS CONFERENCE!!
Just in from Dog's publicist....
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BREAKING NEWS - PRESS CONFERENCE:DUANE "DOG" CHAPMAN, ATTORNEYS CALL PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY, 10/20/06, 10 A.M., AT NBC EXHIBITION HALL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 19, 2006 Honolulu, HI - Duane "Dog" Chapman and his attorneys, William Bollard and Brook Hart, have called a press conference to make a major announcement re the extradition case, as follows:WHO: Duane "Dog" Chapman, William Bollard, and Brook Hart, with Beth Chapman, Tim Chapman, and Leland ChapmanWHEN: Friday, October 20, 2006 • 10:00 a.m. (Hawaii Time)WHERE: Neal Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall, Honolulu, HawaiiBackgroundDuane "Dog" Chapman, star of the top-rated A&E television show DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER, was arrested last month by U.S. marshals in Hawaii on charges of illegal detention and conspiracy in his June 18, 2003, capture in Mexico of cosmetics heir Andrew Luster. Also arrested were Leland Chapman, Duane's son, and Timothy Chapman, their associate. The three spent one night in the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, and were released after posting bail. The three have been ordered to appear at an extradition hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. Since the arrest, hundreds of thousands of fans from across the country and around the world – including 29 members of Congress – have been pleading with the U.S. and Mexican authorities for their freedom and holding them up as "heroes" for bringing serial rapist Luster to justice. Luster is serving a 124-year prison sentence for his heinous crimes against the women he drugged, raped, and videotaped.
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BREAKING NEWS - PRESS CONFERENCE:DUANE "DOG" CHAPMAN, ATTORNEYS CALL PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY, 10/20/06, 10 A.M., AT NBC EXHIBITION HALL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 19, 2006 Honolulu, HI - Duane "Dog" Chapman and his attorneys, William Bollard and Brook Hart, have called a press conference to make a major announcement re the extradition case, as follows:WHO: Duane "Dog" Chapman, William Bollard, and Brook Hart, with Beth Chapman, Tim Chapman, and Leland ChapmanWHEN: Friday, October 20, 2006 • 10:00 a.m. (Hawaii Time)WHERE: Neal Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall, Honolulu, HawaiiBackgroundDuane "Dog" Chapman, star of the top-rated A&E television show DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER, was arrested last month by U.S. marshals in Hawaii on charges of illegal detention and conspiracy in his June 18, 2003, capture in Mexico of cosmetics heir Andrew Luster. Also arrested were Leland Chapman, Duane's son, and Timothy Chapman, their associate. The three spent one night in the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, and were released after posting bail. The three have been ordered to appear at an extradition hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. Since the arrest, hundreds of thousands of fans from across the country and around the world – including 29 members of Congress – have been pleading with the U.S. and Mexican authorities for their freedom and holding them up as "heroes" for bringing serial rapist Luster to justice. Luster is serving a 124-year prison sentence for his heinous crimes against the women he drugged, raped, and videotaped.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Interview about the Chapman case...
Interview about the Chapman case
http://tancredo.house.gov/press/2006.10.11%20TT%20CNN.wmv
http://tancredo.house.gov/press/2006.10.11%20TT%20CNN.wmv
Thursday, October 12, 2006
'Dog' touched by Tancredo's aid......
'Dog' touched by Tancredo's aid
Congressman leads charge to halt bounty hunter's extradition
Duane "Dog" Chapman
STORY TOOLS
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By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News October 12, 2006
When he learned that Rep. Tom Tancredo came to his defense, burly bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman reacted in a way one wouldn't expect.
"I cry easy, so to tell you I cried doesn't tell you very much," Chapman said in a telephone interview from his home in Hawaii.
Tancredo is leader of the "Set the Dog Free" movement in Congress. He and 29 other Republican congressmen have signed a letter asking Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to block Chapman's pending extradition to Mexico.
"Colorado is our home, bro. We've done a lot of work there. I thought most of my friends were gone. It's proven today that they're not," Chapman said.
Chapman, a Denver native, launched a bail bond and bounty-hunting business in Colorado in 1980. After some high-profile arrests of fugitives, he gained national fame as host of the A&E network's reality show, Dog The Bounty Hunter.
Now, Mexico wants him extradited there. He was arrested last month, along with two of his colleagues, on a charge of illegal detention and conspiracy, the Associated Press reported. The charge stems from his capture of convicted rapist Andrew Luster, the Max Factor heir, on June 18, 2003, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Chapman's case has become a cause celebre on the Internet, with a "Set the Dog Free" anthem and an official Web site, www.dogthebountyhunter.com/main.php.
Tancredo has tried to draw attention to the case since last month. This week, he enlisted Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, and 28 other colleagues in sending a letter protesting the State Department's approval of the pending extradition.
"Why is the department pursuing this case when Mr. Chapman was in communications and cooperating with U.S. and Mexican authorities before and throughout the entire period he was pursuing Mr. Luster?" the letter says. "Finally - and perhaps most importantly - why is Mr. Chapman being 'rewarded' for everything he has done for both the U.S. and Mexico by bringing Mr. Luster in with the prospect of serving jail time in Mexico?"
Chapman is no stranger to jail. In his 20s, he served about 18 months in a Texas prison in connection with a homicide. Chapman said he had nothing to do with the fatal shooting, although he was in the area and heard the gunshot.
Skills he honed in prison, combined with happenstance, led him into the bail bonds and bounty-hunting business. Now, with his company, Free As A Bird Bail Bonds, which is still operating in Colorado, he describes himself as "like a freak-of-nature convict gone good."
But he says all of that is at risk if he gets tossed into a Mexican jail, where he figures he'd meet up with plenty of violent criminals who have no love for fugitive hunters.
"This is the real deal. This is a life-threatening travesty," Chapman said. "What I worry about most is leaving my family and going to jail. There's no bucket of gold at the end of this rainbow. There's a cell."
A plea to 'Set the Dog Free'
"It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded."
- Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by Rep. Tom Tancredo and 29 other members of Congress
"I've had a lot more confidence when I saw Mr. Tancredo has 30 people signed up. When we retire, I'm heading to Washington, because I love this kind of stuff."
- Duane "Dog" Chapman, on Tancredo's effort on his behalf
Listen to the "Set the Dog Free" anthem at www.dogthebountyhunter.com/main.php
Congressman leads charge to halt bounty hunter's extradition
Duane "Dog" Chapman
STORY TOOLS
Email this story Print
By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News October 12, 2006
When he learned that Rep. Tom Tancredo came to his defense, burly bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman reacted in a way one wouldn't expect.
"I cry easy, so to tell you I cried doesn't tell you very much," Chapman said in a telephone interview from his home in Hawaii.
Tancredo is leader of the "Set the Dog Free" movement in Congress. He and 29 other Republican congressmen have signed a letter asking Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to block Chapman's pending extradition to Mexico.
"Colorado is our home, bro. We've done a lot of work there. I thought most of my friends were gone. It's proven today that they're not," Chapman said.
Chapman, a Denver native, launched a bail bond and bounty-hunting business in Colorado in 1980. After some high-profile arrests of fugitives, he gained national fame as host of the A&E network's reality show, Dog The Bounty Hunter.
Now, Mexico wants him extradited there. He was arrested last month, along with two of his colleagues, on a charge of illegal detention and conspiracy, the Associated Press reported. The charge stems from his capture of convicted rapist Andrew Luster, the Max Factor heir, on June 18, 2003, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Chapman's case has become a cause celebre on the Internet, with a "Set the Dog Free" anthem and an official Web site, www.dogthebountyhunter.com/main.php.
Tancredo has tried to draw attention to the case since last month. This week, he enlisted Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, and 28 other colleagues in sending a letter protesting the State Department's approval of the pending extradition.
"Why is the department pursuing this case when Mr. Chapman was in communications and cooperating with U.S. and Mexican authorities before and throughout the entire period he was pursuing Mr. Luster?" the letter says. "Finally - and perhaps most importantly - why is Mr. Chapman being 'rewarded' for everything he has done for both the U.S. and Mexico by bringing Mr. Luster in with the prospect of serving jail time in Mexico?"
Chapman is no stranger to jail. In his 20s, he served about 18 months in a Texas prison in connection with a homicide. Chapman said he had nothing to do with the fatal shooting, although he was in the area and heard the gunshot.
Skills he honed in prison, combined with happenstance, led him into the bail bonds and bounty-hunting business. Now, with his company, Free As A Bird Bail Bonds, which is still operating in Colorado, he describes himself as "like a freak-of-nature convict gone good."
But he says all of that is at risk if he gets tossed into a Mexican jail, where he figures he'd meet up with plenty of violent criminals who have no love for fugitive hunters.
"This is the real deal. This is a life-threatening travesty," Chapman said. "What I worry about most is leaving my family and going to jail. There's no bucket of gold at the end of this rainbow. There's a cell."
A plea to 'Set the Dog Free'
"It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded."
- Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice by Rep. Tom Tancredo and 29 other members of Congress
"I've had a lot more confidence when I saw Mr. Tancredo has 30 people signed up. When we retire, I'm heading to Washington, because I love this kind of stuff."
- Duane "Dog" Chapman, on Tancredo's effort on his behalf
Listen to the "Set the Dog Free" anthem at www.dogthebountyhunter.com/main.php
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Congress Members Ask That Bounty Hunter Not Be Extradited To Mexico
DENVER -- A bounty hunter who owns a bail bond business in Colorado faces extradition to Mexico after he was arrested for bringing Max Factor heir and convicted serial rapist Andrew Luster back to the United States.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo and 28 other members of Congress recently sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, asking her to deny the extradition of Duane "Dog" Chapman to Mexico.
“Thanks to Mr. Chapman, Luster is now serving a 124-year sentence,” said Tancredo. “It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded.”
Chapman left Hawaii for the mainland in February to search for Luster. In 2003, he received a tip regarding the whereabouts of Andrew Luster, who disappeared during his trial for rape. Chapman went to Mexico to act on this tip, and was accompanied by a local Mexican police officer – who he agreed to pay. He was also in communication with U.S. officials, who were aware of his activities, Tancredo said.
While in Mexico, Chapman found Luster and brought him back to the United States. However, since bounty hunting is considered illegal kidnapping under Mexican law, Chapman, two other bounty hunters and two journalists were arrested in June of 2003 on charges of being in Mexico illegally.
Chapman has since returned to the U.S. after posting bail.
Mexico has requested extradition for Chapman to face charges of illegal detention and conspiracy in the apprehension of Luster.
Chapman claims to have captured more than 6,000 fugitives. He was born and raised in Denver. He and his wife own a bail bond business in Honolulu and another in Colorado, and regularly return to Denver.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo and 28 other members of Congress recently sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, asking her to deny the extradition of Duane "Dog" Chapman to Mexico.
“Thanks to Mr. Chapman, Luster is now serving a 124-year sentence,” said Tancredo. “It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded.”
Chapman left Hawaii for the mainland in February to search for Luster. In 2003, he received a tip regarding the whereabouts of Andrew Luster, who disappeared during his trial for rape. Chapman went to Mexico to act on this tip, and was accompanied by a local Mexican police officer – who he agreed to pay. He was also in communication with U.S. officials, who were aware of his activities, Tancredo said.
While in Mexico, Chapman found Luster and brought him back to the United States. However, since bounty hunting is considered illegal kidnapping under Mexican law, Chapman, two other bounty hunters and two journalists were arrested in June of 2003 on charges of being in Mexico illegally.
Chapman has since returned to the U.S. after posting bail.
Mexico has requested extradition for Chapman to face charges of illegal detention and conspiracy in the apprehension of Luster.
Chapman claims to have captured more than 6,000 fugitives. He was born and raised in Denver. He and his wife own a bail bond business in Honolulu and another in Colorado, and regularly return to Denver.
29 members of Congress ask Rice to keep bounty hunter in U.S.
29 members of Congress ask Rice to keep bounty hunter in U.S.
The Associated PressWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2006-->
Published: October 10, 2006
HONOLULU A Colorado congressman announced Tuesday that he and 28 other members of Congress have sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking her to deny the extradition of Duane "Dog" Chapman to Mexico.
Chapman, who is the star of the popular Hawaii-based A&E show "Dog The Bounty Hunter," was arrested last month along with two of his co-stars for illegal detention and conspiracy in his capture of fugitive convicted rapist Andrew Luster, the Max Factor heir, on June 18, 2003, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Chapman was released on $300,000 (€239,270) bail the next day. He must attend extradition hearings to face trial in Mexico, where bounty hunting is considered a crime.
Luster is now serving a 124-year prison term.
"It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded," the Republican congressman said in a statement.
All of the signers of the letter listed by Congressman Tom Tancredo are also Republican.
The Associated PressWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2006-->
Published: October 10, 2006
HONOLULU A Colorado congressman announced Tuesday that he and 28 other members of Congress have sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking her to deny the extradition of Duane "Dog" Chapman to Mexico.
Chapman, who is the star of the popular Hawaii-based A&E show "Dog The Bounty Hunter," was arrested last month along with two of his co-stars for illegal detention and conspiracy in his capture of fugitive convicted rapist Andrew Luster, the Max Factor heir, on June 18, 2003, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Chapman was released on $300,000 (€239,270) bail the next day. He must attend extradition hearings to face trial in Mexico, where bounty hunting is considered a crime.
Luster is now serving a 124-year prison term.
"It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded," the Republican congressman said in a statement.
All of the signers of the letter listed by Congressman Tom Tancredo are also Republican.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Prosecutor says Chapman has NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
US Prosecutor says Dog Chapman has NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
Note: Please pay close attention to the comments by the US Prosecutor. This may be historic. When has the US Government ever made the argument that a US Citizen no longer has the protections and rights granted by the US Constitution???9/15/2006BRUCE ASATO The Honolulu Advertiser LUCY PEMONI Associated Press Chapman, son Leland, and Tim Chapman (no relation) were arrested by U.S. Marshals yesterday on charges of illegal detention and conspiracy stemming from their 2003 capture of Max Factor heir and convicted rapist Andrew Luster in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Under Mexican law, it is illegal for someone who has not been authorized by the government to arrest another person. "They want to extradite (Duane Chapman)," said Brook Hart, the Chapmans' attorney. "We have an extradition treaty with Mexico and people get extradited all the time. But usually they're extraditing serious criminals, not someone who assisted in the arresting of a serious criminal. "It's an unusual case." At an arraignment hearing yesterday afternoon, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Johnson argued that the defendants should remain in custody until their extradition hearing, which has yet to be scheduled, explaining that since this is an international case, "there is no constitutional right to bail. There is a presumption against bail." Hart countered that Duane Chapman's high profile and ties to the community constituted special circumstances under which bail could be considered under the law. "Duane is an internationally known figure, has lived in Hawai'i since 1989, and is assured to show up (for his hearing) and will check in every day, or several times a day," Hart said. "All he wants is to go home and take care of his family and continue doing three shows a week for A&E." U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren said he was inclined to grant the Chapmans' release on bail. "The Chapmans have known about this for a long time. They have strong ties here given their notoriety, and they have a financial stake here," he said. "They are very unlikely to risk all of that by fleeing." Still, the final decision was postponed for a hearing this afternoon so that a financial report needed to determine bail could be prepared by the defense and reviewed by Kurren and the prosecution. Today's hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. Duane Chapman and his fellow defendants remained silent throughout the proceedings, although Chapman did offer a "shaka" sign to supporters in the packed courtroom and once gestured to his wife, Beth, to remain silent after she addressed the court directly during a debate over when Chapman's financial information could be compiled. Hart said he and the Chapmans had not yet decided whether to fight extradition. Beth Chapman, who arrived at the hearing flanked by family and a "Dog the Bounty Hunter" film crew, met with reporters after the hearing and thanked the public for its support of the family. "If we did something wrong, then we will stand there for it," she said. "And if Duane has to return to Mexico to clear up any misunderstanding, then that's what we will do." Luster had eluded capture for more than five months when Chapman tracked him to Puerto Vallarta and apprehended him. The streetside confrontation was reported to local police, who later arrested the Chapmans and their camera crew on kidnapping charges. The Chapmans were released on bail, but failed to show up at a scheduled hearing on July 15, 2003. A U.S. warrant for the Chapmans' arrest was signed by a federal judge in Honolulu on Wednesday. Marshals executed the warrant early yesterday, arresting Duane Chapman and Tim Chapman at their Hawai'i Kai residence, and Leland Chapman at his home on Wilhelmina Rise. Lucas Platt, who produces "Dog the Bounty Hunter," said the latest events shouldn't affect the show, which has been a ratings pillar for A&E since its debut in 2004. "It probably won't have much impact at all," Platt said. "I believe he's innocent, and if there's been some misunderstanding going on here, they'll take care of it and it'll be resolved and we'll continue on." Platt said the arrest and possible extradition likely would not keep the show from returning for a fourth season. "I can't speak for the network since I don't work for the network, but I can say that they were aware that Duane and his crew had gone to Mexico to bring back Andrew Luster before they originally picked up the show," he said. "I'm sure they will support him through this." Today was to have been the last day of the current shooting block for next season, but it is likely that production will continue — as it did yesterday when camera and sound technicians followed the family throughout the day — as long as the case drags on. It's been a tumultuous last few months for Chapman. On May 19, a day before Chapman wed his longtime companion Beth, Chapman's 23-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, Barbara, was killed in a car accident in Fairbanks, Alaska. In August, a San Francisco man, Simaile Lutu, filed suit seeking damages from Chapman, his bond company, and San Francisco police claiming that Chapman and his crew mistakenly apprehended him while going after a bail jumper, and that the incident resulted in two other mistaken-identity confrontations with police.
Note: Please pay close attention to the comments by the US Prosecutor. This may be historic. When has the US Government ever made the argument that a US Citizen no longer has the protections and rights granted by the US Constitution???9/15/2006BRUCE ASATO The Honolulu Advertiser LUCY PEMONI Associated Press Chapman, son Leland, and Tim Chapman (no relation) were arrested by U.S. Marshals yesterday on charges of illegal detention and conspiracy stemming from their 2003 capture of Max Factor heir and convicted rapist Andrew Luster in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Under Mexican law, it is illegal for someone who has not been authorized by the government to arrest another person. "They want to extradite (Duane Chapman)," said Brook Hart, the Chapmans' attorney. "We have an extradition treaty with Mexico and people get extradited all the time. But usually they're extraditing serious criminals, not someone who assisted in the arresting of a serious criminal. "It's an unusual case." At an arraignment hearing yesterday afternoon, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Johnson argued that the defendants should remain in custody until their extradition hearing, which has yet to be scheduled, explaining that since this is an international case, "there is no constitutional right to bail. There is a presumption against bail." Hart countered that Duane Chapman's high profile and ties to the community constituted special circumstances under which bail could be considered under the law. "Duane is an internationally known figure, has lived in Hawai'i since 1989, and is assured to show up (for his hearing) and will check in every day, or several times a day," Hart said. "All he wants is to go home and take care of his family and continue doing three shows a week for A&E." U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren said he was inclined to grant the Chapmans' release on bail. "The Chapmans have known about this for a long time. They have strong ties here given their notoriety, and they have a financial stake here," he said. "They are very unlikely to risk all of that by fleeing." Still, the final decision was postponed for a hearing this afternoon so that a financial report needed to determine bail could be prepared by the defense and reviewed by Kurren and the prosecution. Today's hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. Duane Chapman and his fellow defendants remained silent throughout the proceedings, although Chapman did offer a "shaka" sign to supporters in the packed courtroom and once gestured to his wife, Beth, to remain silent after she addressed the court directly during a debate over when Chapman's financial information could be compiled. Hart said he and the Chapmans had not yet decided whether to fight extradition. Beth Chapman, who arrived at the hearing flanked by family and a "Dog the Bounty Hunter" film crew, met with reporters after the hearing and thanked the public for its support of the family. "If we did something wrong, then we will stand there for it," she said. "And if Duane has to return to Mexico to clear up any misunderstanding, then that's what we will do." Luster had eluded capture for more than five months when Chapman tracked him to Puerto Vallarta and apprehended him. The streetside confrontation was reported to local police, who later arrested the Chapmans and their camera crew on kidnapping charges. The Chapmans were released on bail, but failed to show up at a scheduled hearing on July 15, 2003. A U.S. warrant for the Chapmans' arrest was signed by a federal judge in Honolulu on Wednesday. Marshals executed the warrant early yesterday, arresting Duane Chapman and Tim Chapman at their Hawai'i Kai residence, and Leland Chapman at his home on Wilhelmina Rise. Lucas Platt, who produces "Dog the Bounty Hunter," said the latest events shouldn't affect the show, which has been a ratings pillar for A&E since its debut in 2004. "It probably won't have much impact at all," Platt said. "I believe he's innocent, and if there's been some misunderstanding going on here, they'll take care of it and it'll be resolved and we'll continue on." Platt said the arrest and possible extradition likely would not keep the show from returning for a fourth season. "I can't speak for the network since I don't work for the network, but I can say that they were aware that Duane and his crew had gone to Mexico to bring back Andrew Luster before they originally picked up the show," he said. "I'm sure they will support him through this." Today was to have been the last day of the current shooting block for next season, but it is likely that production will continue — as it did yesterday when camera and sound technicians followed the family throughout the day — as long as the case drags on. It's been a tumultuous last few months for Chapman. On May 19, a day before Chapman wed his longtime companion Beth, Chapman's 23-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, Barbara, was killed in a car accident in Fairbanks, Alaska. In August, a San Francisco man, Simaile Lutu, filed suit seeking damages from Chapman, his bond company, and San Francisco police claiming that Chapman and his crew mistakenly apprehended him while going after a bail jumper, and that the incident resulted in two other mistaken-identity confrontations with police.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Want 2 REALLY make an impression with ur letters of support?
Awesome Article w/ Details of Luster bust!!!!
Grateful to be safely home in Hawaii, Duane 'Dog' Chapman and associates reveal why they really fled Mexico after taking down Andrew Luster Fugitive and convicted rapist Andrew Luster is finally off the streets and locked away in prison where he can no longer entice young women into his sadistic world of handcuffs, drugs and sexual assault. The notorious cosmetic heir is now just another sexual predator behind bars, but the intense publicity sheen that has covered the worldwide manhunt since last January shows no signs of fading. If anything, interest in Luster's sadistic criminal activity and six-month run from the law took on a fresh new glow last month following his stunning capture in Mexico. Authorities found handcuffs, ropes and video equipment in Luster's Puerto Vallarta motel room. They also found marijuana and GHB, the "date rape" drug, and a piece of paper with pick-up lines written in Spanish. Hollywood couldn't have scripted a more dramatic finale, but it's working on it. A made-for-TV movie about the case was in final production last month but reportedly had to be halted so the ending could be rewritten to include the capture. Luster, the 39-year-old great-grandson of cosmetics tycoon Max Factor, fled California last January in the middle of his trial for 86 counts stemming from the rapes of three women who were incapacitated with GHB. At the time, he was free on a $1 million bond. Police searches of Luster's California home turned up graphic videotapes of Luster having sex with women who appeared to be either asleep or unconscious. After his disappearance, the jury convicted Luster in absentia, sentencing him to 124 years in prison. He has since been returned to California and is now at the Salinas Valley State Prison, where he'll be eligible for parole in 104 years. Meanwhile, as Tinseltown renews its faith in life being stranger than fiction, the tale has taken yet another turn. Suddenly, the high-profile villain is being upstaged by a lesser known hero. With Luster caught and incarcerated, the story film producers and book publishers are now salivating over is the astonishing ordeal endured by the three bounty hunters who took Luster down. Duane "Dog" Chapman, arguably the most famous bounty hunter in the world, had been tracking Luster since the criminal jumped bail in January. The veteran bloodhound who claims he has made over 6,000 collars in his 25-year career, pulled out all of his tricks for this one, including appearances on CNN and national television programs such as America's Most Wanted, where he taunted Luster and solicited assistance from the public in his manhunt. It paid off. Last month he received a tip from a couple who had just returned from vacationing in Puerto Vallarta where they felt certain they'd seen Luster. Though the couple notified the FBI that same day, it was Chapman who moved on the information first. With his son Leland and associate Timothy Chapman, he tracked Luster's car to the beach resort and located the hotel where the fugitive was staying. Most media accounts, initially gleaned primarily from local authorities, have since reported that around 5 a.m. on June 18, the trio, accompanied by a two-man film crew, apprehended Luster at a taco stand just outside the Hotel Los Angeles. In the days immediately following the arrest, reports were sketchy and varied. On June 19, Court TV reported that Chapman and his team had actually seized the fugitive heir, who'd been using the alias David Carrera, in Zoo Bar, near the intersection of avenues Mexico and Honduras. The report says the Chapmans used mace and handcuffs to subdue Luster and that they then piled into two trucks, a Chevrolet Suburban and a Chrysler Voyager, and fled. By the next day, June 20, the international media was all over the event. They reported that local merchants who witnessed the scuffle alerted local police who then intercepted the two vehicles minutes later outside of town and arrested all six men, charging all but Luster with kidnapping. Bounty hunting is considered kidnapping in Mexico and is illegal. Luster was handed over to the FBI and extradited back to the United States the following week. The camera crew, Boris Krutonog and Jeff Sells, were released within hours of the arrest, but the bounty hunters weren't released until June 23. All three were charged with criminal association and deprivation of liberty, counts that carry up to eight years in prison. They also were told to remain in Puerto Vallarta and check with the court every Monday awaiting trial. A week later, they left the country, eventually making their way to Los Angeles, where at a news conference Chapman dismissed claims that he had violated the terms of his bail for missing a court appearance in Mexico. Sporting a black eye, Chapman told reporters his lawyers are handling the issue and that he will continue to cooperate with the Mexican courts. Chapman, who owns Da Kine Bail Bonds in Honolulu and three more in Colorado, returned to Hawaii July 11, triumphant but bruised and shaken. He says he's lost 20 pounds since his incarceration in Mexico. Tim and Leland say they've lost 12 pounds apiece. In their first in-depth media interview since their release from jail, the three amigos agreed to sit down with MidWeek to "set the record straight" about their ordeal in Mexico. Sitting next to Leland and Timothy at a large patio table by the pool in the back yard of his home in Kahala, Dog Chapman looks dogged out. He wears a leather poncho given to him as a gift in Puerto Vallarta and his trademark black jeans and silver-toed snakeskin boots. Leland and Timothy, both decked out in black, look gaunt and reserved. All three are visibly edgy. They chain-smoke and wear dark sunglasses throughout the interview. Leland's wife, Maui, and Timothy's wife, Davina, sit quietly to the side as Chapman's longtime partner Beth Smith prepares a huge pitcher of ice water in the kitchen. "We're just waiting for the lawyer to show up," Smith announces as she brings the water and glasses to the table. Within minutes, Honolulu attorney Guy Matsunaga appears, introduces himself and sits in a chair next to Dog. The bounty hunters currently retain the services of 15 lawyers, several to represent their interests in Hollywood, the rest to see them through the messy episode south of the border. "We had a big meeting with the lawyers this morning about what we can and cannot say," Smith says to establish ground rules. Chapman's spokesperson is apparently just one of the many hats she wears for the team. "So, I'd like you to ask Timothy and Leland some questions, Duane will make a few comments and we'll tell you if we can talk about it or not." The first question is what was it like in the Mexican jail, to which Smith immediately responds, "They can't talk about that." "Well, no, we can talk about some of it," Chapman tells her. A brief debate ensues, a scene that repeats itself every few minutes for the next two hours. Chapman finally turns and says, "We're lucky to be alive." "They starved us," Timothy speaks up and says. "When we first got there, they gave us a piece of paper that said, 'This is a poor country ... If you don't know somebody who can send you food and water, you won't have any." Dog says Timothy Chapman, 38, whom the media has reported as being everything from his son to his brother to his nephew, is not even related to him, that they simply share the same surname. "Tim started working for me when he was 17," Chapman says. "So what's that, 21 years? In Mexico they thought he was one of my sons, so we let them think that so they wouldn't split us up." It's a good thing they didn't. In reference to the shiner under his right eye earlier this month, Chapman says, "We had some scuffles." A few minutes later, ignoring protests from Smith, he says they were in fights from the first day they were in jail. "It was so dark we couldn't tell day from night," he says, adding that they didn't know if they were fighting guards or other prisoners. "We just got back-to-back and fought our way through it together. We were the last three standing in our cell. The others, they picked up off the ground and dragged them somewhere else." At first the Chapmans were kept in a jail in Puerto Vallarta, then transferred under heavy guard some 70 miles in the back of a pickup truck to the state penitentiary in Jalisco. The night before their release, they were transported back to Puerto Vallarta in the back of another pickup. "I was sitting right over the muffler in the back and it was burning the s-- out of me," Timothy recalls. "We couldn't move because the truck was full of guards with machine guns. I definitely had the worst seat in the house." Timothy says they were given no food or water the first two days. Mercifully, members of the media, who showed up en masse and camped outside of the prison, tossed bottles of water through the bars to help the three men stave off severe dehydration. By the third day, Beth had hired several Mexican attorneys who started bringing them food. As for the arrest of Luster, the three bounty hunters say they can't give details on the actual capture, presumably because of legal issues, but also because they don't want to break agreements with movie and television producers or pre-empt an upcoming book about Chapman called In Dog We Trust. The book is being written by former MidWeek managing editor Bill Mossman, who says it should be released sometime this fall. Still, Chapman appears eager to correct some of the things he has read in the media about the Luster take-down. "First of all, we never maced him, never," he points out adamantly. "We have the whole thing on videotape," Smith adds, saying the full story will be divulged in the upcoming book, and the footage will tell the whole story once they release it. "I won't give you details," Chapman says, "but one of the cameramen filming the capture took his eye away from the camera to watch and later said he'd never seen anything so fast in his life. We've been working together a long time and know what we're doing." The self-proclaimed "greatest bounty hunter in the world" may appear to be a wild man, but according to Mossman, who has researched Chapman's life for over a year, he is a precise technician when it comes to staging and executing a collar. "He doesn't just run in and jump on someone yelling yeehaw!" Mossman says. "He was trained by the FBI and orchestrates each capture very carefully." "Another thing that hasn't been reported in the media is that we had a police officer with us at the capture," Dog reveals. "He didn't participate in the capture, but he accompanied us and was at the scene." The significance of this information is that it challenges allegations from the Mexican government, the FBI and the National Association of Bail Enforcement Agents that Chapman entered Mexico illegally and had planned to circumvent local authorities to spirit Luster out of the country illegally. "We weren't arrested leaving town," Chapman says, referring to widely reported charges by local police. "We were on our way to the police station. This cop can vouch for that. We were trying to do it right." Leland Chapman, who has remained silent up to this point, speaks up and says, "We were just two and a half blocks from the police station when they arrested us." Now 26, Leland has been working with his dad since he was 15. On stakeout in Puerto Vallarta, he was the one who positively identified Luster at a nightclub the night before the capture. He called his father, who was in another town at the time, and told him he was "1,000 percent sure" it was Luster. "I called (his dad) and said, 'Yeah, I'm positive ... I touched him," Leland recalls. "I didn't actually touch him, I walked right by him. He said 'What's up?' and I said 'What's up?' I was standing right next to him." Ironically, Dog Chapman's own checkered past with the law may actually lend some credibility to his insistence that he was trying to take Luster in to local authorities. The born-again Christian had been arrested 18 times for armed robbery before being convicted in 1977 on a murder charge and serving two years in prison. As a convicted felon, he only has to mess up once -something as minor as trespassing, and he goes back to jail. Even though the Luster grab was in another country, sources close to the family say it's unlikely someone as careful as Chapman would enter the country illegally and risk an endrun around the authorities. Chapman says he and his team were never actually charged with kidnapping, which he says was an allegation fueled by the governor of Jalisco who, he claims, recognized the enormous wealth of Luster's family and then publicly condemned the bounty hunters before formal charges were ever filed. The illegal entry and criminal association charges were dropped while Chapman was still in custody. All that remains is the deprivation of liberty charge, which he says he was told was a misdemeanor the equivalent of a traffic violation. Chapman maintains the judge in his case, Jose de Jesus Pineda, saw through the whole thing immediately. "The judge pulled me aside and whispered, 'You know, the charge against you is a very minor violation." Still, there may be more going on behind the scenes in the Jalisco courtroom than meets the eye. Though the judge has yet to declare Chapman and his associates in violation of their bail, state prosecutors seem anxious to start extradition proceedings to bring them back to court. Smith insinuates this may have something to do with money, citing Luster's family fortune as a possible source. "Why else would they be pushing to bring them back? C'mon, it's a misdemeanor. We pay the fine instead of going to court. They allow that in Mexico." The plot thickens further when Chapman explains, for the first time publicly, why they left Mexico just one week after their release, particularly when they were told to remain until a court date could be set. "Tell him, Leland," Chapman says to his son. The soft-spoken Leland leans forward and says, "A government official approached me and said, 'We have protected you for 14 days, but I don't think we can do that any longer. The cartel is here." "What he was saying is they learned that $300,000 had just hit the street and that our lives might be in danger," Dog says. "The drug cartel is really pissed at us right now." This, from a man who has made a living from his keen sense of what's going down on the street. Still, without more information, it's difficult to read between the lines. Attempting to elaborate without saying too much, Smith says, "Think about it ... they (Dog, Leland and Timothy) escaped out of the country, and their man (Luster) went to jail." It's anyone's guess why a drug cartel would be mixed up in this case. Had they been given a contract? If so, who would have had an interest in retribution? Regardless, the Deep Throat threat received by Leland caused the three men to leave the country that same day. The story of their daring and arduous exodus by ground will be revealed at a later date, Smith says, leaving one to wonder if that means it will be an episode in the weekly television series Chapman signed for earlier this year. "I'll go back to court in Mexico if they need me to be there," he says. "I think the judge will find us not guilty, because we are not guilty." "The bottom line is there's a serial rapist back in jail," Timothy points out. "He's not out there raping women anymore."
And thank Dog for that.
And thank Dog for that.
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