California Mom to Be Extradited to Michigan
Posted on May 12, 2008
Filed Under Extradition, Law, News |
A respected Carmel Valley mother sits in prison awaiting extradition to Michigan. In what must seem like another lifetime, she was sentenced to serve 10 to 20 years in prison for selling heroin in Saginaw, Michigan. Eight months into her sentence, she escaped over a barbed wire fence. She was 20 years old.
Now 53, Susan LeFevre is being ripped from her husband and three children and the law-abiding life she has lived in upscale North County to serve out the rest of her jail term in Michigan. Her chances for clemency from Michigan’s hard line governor are slim, legal experts say.
Just out of high school, LeFevre was one of many 1970 teens who dabbled in the drug culture, using and sometimes dealing. She was arrested at age 19 during a state police crackdown on drug dealers. At the time of her sentencing, drug sentences of 20 years were common. After her escape, LeFevre changed her name and fled to California where she lived for more than 30 years waiting for “the ax to fall” until officers appeared at her door. It’s a “nightmare,” said the mom and avid volunteer at several nonprofits.
Extradition is the process of returning a fugitive wanted for a crime in another state to that state to face criminal charges or serve a sentence. California recognizes two types of extradition cases:
- An individual arrested in California for a crime that occurred in another state, as in LeFevre’s case.
- An individual arrested for a crime committed in California who is now living in another state to seek asylum.
California laws protect wanted fugitives charged with extradition. Legal proceedings to ensure that the extradition is valid protect the accused wanted criminal before an extradition arrest can occur. The fugitive often must wait out these sometimes lengthy proceedings in jail. A criminal defense attorney can help a fugitive fight an extradition proceeding. The validity of the documents filed by the prosecutor and vague or incorrect proof of identity procedures are two areas on which extradition can be fought.
-LegalPro
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