IV
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 244
Calling on the Government of Cuba to extradite Joanne Chesimard from
Cuba to the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 17, 1998
Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey submitted the following concurrent resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Calling on the Government of Cuba to extradite Joanne
Chesimard from Cuba to the United States.
Whereas on May 2, 1973, Joanne Chesimard and 2 friends
were stopped in their vehicle by New Jersey State Troop-
ers James Harper and Werner Foerster on the New Jer-
sey Turnpike;
Whereas while being questioned, Ms. Chesimard and the driv-
er opened fire with automatic pistols striking Trooper
Werner Foerster twice in the chest and Trooper James
Harper in the left shoulder;
Whereas the suspects then turned Trooper Foerster’s own
weapon on him firing an additional two bullets into his
head execution style;
•HCON 244 IH
Whereas this heinous and premeditated act resulted in the
tragic death of New Jersey State Trooper Werner
Foerster;
Whereas Trooper Foerster left behind a wife, Rose Foerster,
and family;
Whereas in 1977, after a 6 week trial, a jury found Ms.
Chesimard guilty of first-degree murder for the slaying of
Trooper Foerster, a respected New Jersey State Trooper;
Whereas as a result of this conviction Ms. Chesimard was
sentenced to life in a New Jersey State prison;
Whereas in 1979, Ms. Chesimard broke free from a maxi-
mum security cell at the Reformatory for Women in Clin-
ton, New Jersey, with the help of 4 men who took a
guard and prison van driver hostage;
Whereas after escaping prison, Ms. Chesimard fled to Cuba
for political asylum, a country which has no extradition
treaty with the United States;
Whereas there are currently more than 90 other United
States fugitives living in Cuba under political asylum;
Whereas these fugitives have been convicted of crimes in the
United States and have not paid their debt to society;
Whereas countries should respect each other’s justice systems
and not provide safe-harbor to felons who murder law en-
forcement officers;
Whereas people in New Jersey were shocked and outraged to
see television interviews showing Ms. Chesimard living
freely in Cuba, portraying herself as the victim and deny-
ing any crimes against Trooper Foerster;
•HCON 244 IH
Whereas the Governor of New Jersey, Christine Whitman,
has requested Federal assistance from Attorney General
Janet Reno for the return of Ms. Chesimard; and
Whereas Members of Congress have petitioned Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright requesting that the Department
of State do everything in its power to get Joanne
Chesimard returned to the United States to live out the
rest of her life behind bars: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) the Government of Cuba should extradite
convicted murderer Joanne Chesimard to the United
States in order for her to complete her life sentence
for the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner
Foerster; and
(2) the United States should not ease any re-
strictions currently in place with respect to Cuba be-
fore Ms. Chesimard is extradited to the United
States.
Æ