Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act
Bill: H.R.8651 | Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. (R-NJ)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act
This bill directs the President to report annually to Congress on fugitives and other individuals with respect to whom the United States is seeking extradition from other countries. The report shall contain information on the number of such individuals, U.S. diplomatic efforts to secure their return, and the factors that have prevented the resolution of outstanding cases.

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, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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:
            (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 otherwise 
        render to the United States fugitives within their jurisdiction 
        who have been convicted of committing crimes on United States 
        soil impedes the judicial process and undermines the rule of 
        law.
            (3) The United States has bilateral extradition treaties 
        with more than 100 nations and an extradition 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 victims 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 escape 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. Patterson's 
        surviving family and friends.
            (7) The refusal of Cuba to extradite or otherwise 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 extradition and the extradition policies of countries 
        from which the United States seeks extradition and rendition 
        bear further examination.
            (9) Such examination will be promoted by the issuance of a 
        public report on the status of extradition 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 foreign officials 
of countries from which the United States seeks the extradition of 
fugitives, United States ambassadors 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 extradition 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.
            (5) Factors that have been barriers to the resolution of 
        these cases.
            (6) Information on the number of United States citizens 
        whose extradition has been sought by other countries during the 
        past five 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 ``appropriate 
congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        the Judiciary of the Senate.
                                 <all>