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 Editorials | Opinions | April 2007 
Bounty Hunter Was Right
 Scott Hansen - The Spectator
| | Duane 'Dog' Chapman and his wife Beth Smith are bounty hunters who track fugitives on the A&E reality TV show Dog the Bounty Hunter. (Lucy Pemoni/AP) |
This past Friday was a difficult day for me. As I was channel surfing, I saw one of my most favorite reality TV stars, Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman, as vulnerable as ever, pleading his case on an MSNBC talk show, to not be sent to Mexico to stand trial.
It made me sad and amazed at the same moment for three reasons. The first one being of course that Dog is one of the most intimidating persons I have ever seen, so seeing him nearly in tears was something I had never seen before. Next was the fact that Dog is not remotely close to someone that would deserve to go to prison. Lastly, it was the fact that the events being covered occurred in September 2006 and are just getting coverage now.
For those of you who don't know Dog, here is a little bit of background for you. According to his official Web site, he is an ex-con who became a born-again Christian and is considered one of the best bounty hunters in the world after making 6,000 captures in his 27-year-long career. His current show is a spin-off from an appearance he made on the A&E Network's "Take This Job," a program about people with unusual occupations.
On June 18, 2003, Dog made news by capturing Max Factor cosmetics heir Andrew Luster, who at the time was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Luster, who was on trial for poisoning and raping someone, fled the United States. He was convicted in absentia on 86 counts including multiple rape charges connected to assaults in 1996, 1997 and 2000. Mexican authorities ordered Dog to transfer Luster into the custody of the Mexican police but he refused, and was arrested for kidnapping and unlawful detainment. On July 3, 2003, he was officially declared a fugitive by a spokesman for the Mexican government after failing to report to the Mexican courts as ordered.
On September 14, 2006, U.S. Marshals arrested Dog and jailed him in Honolulu on behalf of the Mexican government. He was charged with felony restraint involving the 2003 kidnapping of Andrew Luster. Bounty hunting is a crime under Mexican law and he faces up to eight years in Mexican prison if convicted. Dog was released on $300,000 bail and is currently fighting his extradition to Mexico.
According to a Fox News article, 29 Republican congressmen sent an open letter dated September 26, 2006, to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The letter stated the authors' opposition to Chapman's extradition and requested that Rice deny Mexico's extradition request.
However, according to an Associated Press Article, on February 16 a Mexican federal court cleared the way for Dog to be extradited, ruling there was no reason not to try him with the charge of deprivation of liberty in Mexico.
On February 23, 2007, Hawaii state representatives requested the President of Mexico and the Second District Court of Guadalajara to drop extradition charges against Dog.
The case is now being reviewed by the Mexican appellate, consisting of four judges, who have determined that it is a misdemeanor and the sentence will most likely be a fine or probation.
It doesn't matter to me what the final punishment is. Whether it is a fine, probation or even doing time. The point is, what is being done to Dog is an injustice. He did a service to both the people of Mexico and to the victims and their families of those who were affected by Luster's actions.
Some may say that these events are merely a publicity stunt to put the reality TV star in his place, and maybe that is what it really is. However, I can't help but hear of the events and feel as though they boil down to a bigger picture.
Dog tried to help the people of Mexico by capturing Luster. That may not have been his main goal but maybe his main goal was the money he would receive from Luster's capture. But I think the price he is paid is a small one compared to everyone who was helped by his actions. Bounty hunting may be illegal in Mexico, but the law should only apply to situations in which Mexican fugitives are being hunted in Mexico.
To me, Mexico stepping in and making a big deal of this shows a true lack of respect. Authorities do not care that despite breaking the law, Dog's actions helped put many victims and American citizens at ease.
What the Mexican government is doing is simply pushing the buttons of the American government as if to flaunt how they can compete with us.
But what is even more disturbing is that our government is essentially letting them do it. Besides the few people who stood up for Dog and wrote to Rice, everyone else seems to be ignoring the situation as if it were no big deal.
Part of me feels as though a deal should be made to let Luster go back to Mexico just so the authorities can deal with him. If they want him so bad, they can have him back. However, I think that the American victims and their families that were affected by Luster's actions are entitled to see justice being served. Dog is one of the best examples that the law works and that justice can be served.
So if that is the case, why is nothing being done? Probably because of the lack of coverage that the issue is receiving. I consider myself a huge fan of the show, yet it took me this long to hear about it.
The show's slogan is "In Dog We Trust," and I wish that the American government would see this. Not only would the jailing of Dog be unjust, but think of how many people would be left to remain fugitives. How many people would now commit crimes knowing there is no way they will be caught because the one threat to them is off the streets?
I'm not sure what is harder for me to believe: the American government is letting itself be pushed around by a neighboring country that we are supposed to have a mutual respect with, or that the government won't stick up to this instigating government for something that essentially represents what government is all about - justice.
Hansen is a freshman print journalism major and Showcase/Scene editor of The Spectator. |
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