Extradition laws give a nation the ability to hand over someone to another nation for purposes of criminal trial or punishment. Whether someone can be extradited depends on the laws of the countries involved and whether there’s an extradition treaty in place. Extradition can also take place within the United States in a state-to-state extradition. International Extradition: The Basics

An extradition treaty is an agreement between two countries to extradite to each other persons who’ve been charged or found guilty of an extraditable offense. The United States has extradition treaties with more than 100 countries as well as with the European Union.

Extraditable offenses generally include crimes that are punishable in both countries by at least one-year imprisonment. These offenses include the attempt or conspiracy to commit an extraditable offense. Special inclusion for extraditable offenses are matters that involve taxes, custom duties, and foreign exchange offenses.

The treaties often exclude the extradition of a national of the requested state. For instance, the United States will not, in most cases, extradite one of its own citizens to another country. This non-extradition of a country’s own citizens explains why Roman Polanski was able to evade extradition. Polanski was convicted of having sexual intercourse with a 13 year-old in the United States, but he fled to France before sentencing. Because Mr. Polanski is a French citizen, France refused to extradite him.

There are other scenarios where extradition can be refused. Many nations may refuse to extradite people who may face torture or the death penalty in the requesting nation. For example, when serial killer Charles Ng fled to Canada after torturing, raping, and murdering at least 12 people, Canada struggled with whether or not to extradite Ng. They had abolished capital punishment and did not want to extradite someone who would be facing the death penalty in the country requesting extradition.

In the end, Canada decided to extradite him to California largely because they didn’t want to become a safe haven for murderers from the United States. Canada could have demanded that Ng would not face the death penalty, but they extradited him without such an assurance.

The extradition process is described in U.S. federal law (18 U.S.C. §3184). When the United States wants to extradite someone who is residing in a foreign country with an extradition treaty, a complaint is filed in any U.S. court stating the charges and the treaty requirements. A warrant for the persons apprehension will be prepared and given to the Secretary of State who will then contact the foreign government to begin the international extradition process.

The receiving nation then looks to its treaty obligations to the requesting nation and to its own laws on extradition, and decides whether or not to extradite. Many nations do not extradite individuals for certain political crimes. These can include treason, sedition, espionage and alleged crimes relating to criticism of political leaders.

In countries with no extradition treaty with the United States, it’s still possible to extradite someone. In these cases, the United States must negotiate with the non-extradition treaty country, but they can say no.

If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a criminal charge, immediately contact a Seattle Criminal Attorney. A Criminal lawyer is not going to judge you, and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle Criminal Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties, and can help direct people on how to best deal with their criminal charge, and many times even get them dismissed. So it should go without saying that someone cited for a misdemeanor or felony should hire a qualified Seattle Criminal Lawyer as soon as possible. Criminal charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a crime in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle Criminal Lawyer.