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Legal Dictionary - Extradition
To surrender, or obtain surrender of, a fugitive from one jurisdiction to another. see, e.g. United States v. Alvarez-Machain, 504 US 655 (1992), and In the matter of Morris Strauss, 197 US 324 (1905).
Extradition under American law
The constitutional basis for state-to-state extradition is found in the Extradition Clause, Article IV section 2 (http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articleiv.html#section2) of the US Constitution. The statute implementing extradition is Title 18, Sect. 3182 of the US Code. Further extradition guidelines are to be found in the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act, adopted in many states.
Not surprisingly, extradition is an important and sensitive issue between sovereigns. It can be particularly controversial when the accused is removed to a jurisdiction where penalties are greater.
Extradition between nations
See also:
- The discussion of interstate rendition in the CRS/LII annotated Constitution (http://www.law.cornell.edu/anncon/html/art4frag11_user.html#art4_sec2cl2)
- The Uniform Criminal Extradition Act, as adopted in Illinois (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1994&ChapAct=725%A0ILCS%A0225/&ChapterID=54&ChapterName=CRIMINAL+PROCEDURE&ActName=Uniform+Criminal+Extradition+Act%2E)
- The background paper (http://www.sas.ab.ca/uncp/Documents/c1698e.html) for the 1995 Workshop on Extradition and International Cooperation sponsored by the UN.
- Wikipedia's article on extradition
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