I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2320 
To direct the President to submit to Congress a report on fugitives currently 
residing in other countries whose extradition is sought by the United 
States and related matters. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 12, 2019 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. SIRES) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the President to submit to Congress a report 
on fugitives currently residing in other countries whose 
extradition is sought by the United States and related 
matters. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Walter Patterson and 
Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Extradition is the formal surrender of a 
person by one state to another state for prosecution 
or punishment. 
(2) Refusal by other nations to extradite or oth-
erwise render to the United States fugitives within 
their jurisdiction who have been convicted of com-
mitting crimes on United States soil impedes the ju-
dicial process and undermines the rule of law. 
(3) The United States has bilateral extradition 
treaties with more than 100 nations and an extra-
dition agreement with the European Union. 
(4) The United States has bilateral extradition 
treaties with Portugal and Cuba. 
(5) The failure to bring criminal fugitives to 
justice in the United States is an affront to the vic-
tims of those crimes. 
(6) The refusal of Portugal, a close ally and 
good friend of the United States, to extradite George 
Wright, convicted of the 1962 murder of Walter 
Patterson, fugitive from justice since his 1970 es-
cape from the Bayside State Prison in New Jersey, 
is a deplorable example of a failure to extradite, and 
has caused ongoing suffering and stress to Mr. Pat-
terson’s surviving family and friends. 
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(7) The refusal of Cuba to extradite or other-
wise render Joanne Chesimard, an escaped convict 
who fled to Cuba after killing Werner Foerster, New 
Jersey State Trooper, is a deplorable example of a 
failure to extradite or otherwise render, and has 
caused ongoing suffering and stress to Mr. 
Foerster’s surviving family and friends. 
(8) The refusals to extradite George Wright 
and Joanne Chesimard are emblematic of a number 
of such refusals from other nations, such that 
United States policies and efforts to secure extra-
dition and the extradition policies of countries from 
which the United States seeks extradition and ren-
dition bear further examination. 
(9) Such examination will be promoted by the 
issuance of a public report on the status of extra-
dition requests by the United States and related 
matters. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide 
information necessary to evaluate and thereby strengthen 
United States Government efforts to extradite fugitives. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that in meetings with for-
eign officials of countries from which the United States 
seeks the extradition of fugitives, United States ambas-
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sadors and other senior officials should prioritize advocacy 
on fulfilling United States extradition requests, including 
extradition of George Wright, an escaped convict and the 
murderer of Walter Patterson of New Jersey, and Joanne 
Chesimard, an escaped convict and the murderer of New 
Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster. 
SEC. 4. REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than the 
end of each 12-month period thereafter, the President 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report on the following: 
(1) The number of fugitives, and others for 
whom the United States Government is seeking ex-
tradition or rendition, currently residing in other 
countries whose extradition is sought by the United 
States and a list of those countries. 
(2) Diplomatic and other efforts, if any, the 
United States has undertaken to secure the return 
of such fugitives. 
(3) The average length of time these cases have 
been outstanding. 
(4) How many of these cases have been resolved 
to the satisfaction of the United States. 
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(5) Factors that have been barriers to the reso-
lution of these cases. 
(6) Information on the number of United States 
citizens whose extradition has been sought by other 
countries during the past 5 years, a list of those 
countries seeking extradition, and the outcomes of 
those requests. 
(b) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include 
a classified annex if necessary. 
(c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro-
priate congressional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate. 
Æ 
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