Bad Dog

This one’s a little late, so forgive me…

I read on the news a few days ago that Duane Chapman, better known to people as “Dog the Bounty Hunter” has lost his legal battle with the Mexican government, and will soon be extradited to Mexico to face charges for… get this.. bounty hunting.

Apparently, this whole hubbub started when Chapman and crew went down to Mexico (“The Other North American Land-Mass”) and apprehended Andrew Luster, the heir to Max Factor cosmetics, who fled the US for Mexico while he was on trial for poisoning and rape. The issue here is that bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico. So, when Chapman & Co. refused to turn him back in to the Mexican authorities, they were declared fugitives themselves. They were arrested in Honolulu in 2006 and have been fighting extradition ever since.

Well, the Dog lost this fight, and he’s headed back to Mexico to face charges and, if convicted, he faces up to 4 years in prison. Luster, on the other hand, is now in jail and serving multiple life sentences.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this case is, “Why did it take the Mexican government so long to find this guy?” I mean, he has a freakin’ TV show, for Christ’s sake! I guess they don’t get cable in Mexico…

But on a serious note, these are the sort of cases that test your resolve. First of all, you’ve got to admire Chapman’s determination and resolve. As far as I can see, this wasn’t personal; it was about justice, and bringing someone who tried to use a loophole in the system to win his freedom back down to earth. But, on the other hand, the law is there to make us act better than our instincts push us to. Even though this guy was probably laughing at us from across the border, you can’t just reach across the line and pull the guy back. Sadly, this case is pretty open and shut, unless their lawyer can either push the definition of “bounty hunting”, or confuse them with bad spanish grammar.

Mr. Chapman knows what it’s like to be in prison. He spent many years locked up for 2nd Degree Murder before becoming a bounty hunter. If there is “justice” in the truest sense of the word, then I’d hope that he can avoid going to jail again.

But, if he does go to prison, and they allow the A&E cameras in there, I’m sooooo watching that.