Minnesota Dentist Walter Palmer is already one of the most vilified individuals in the United States. Palmer paid $50,000 to lure a lion with bait, kill him with a bow and arrow, cut off his head and skin him. What Palmer viewed as a good time has turned into a nightmare after he bagged Cecil the Lion, a famous lion in Zimbabwe. Cecil was lured out of the park sanctuary with a dead animal on top of a vehicle. He was wearing a collar and was first wounded and then hunted down the next day for the kill by Palmer. He then left Zimbabwe just in time to avoid arrest. Not so lucky was the head of the safari and the owner of the land upon which Cecil was killed. Now, Palmer has become the prey as Zimbabwe announced that it is seeking his extradition for prosecution.
Oppah Muchinguri, the African nation’s environment minister, wants Palmer brought to justice in Zimbabwe, a prospect that the wealthy trophy hunter obviously does not relish.
The United States does have a treaty with Zimbabwe for such extradition, even though no one has been extradited since it took effect in 2000. The request must be made to the State Department and then conveyed to the Justice Department. While the U.S. does not determine guilt or innocence as a condition for extradition, it does seek to confirm that the underlying conduct is a crime in both countries. Since Palmer is accused of an illegal hunt without necessary permits (among other alleged crimes), it would seem to qualify.
Ironically, the best hope for Palmer is Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, a corrupt authoritarian figure despised by the Administration and most Americans. Since extradition is a political matter, the politics work heavily against cooperation with the corrupt regime of Mugabe. There is also the fact that both the courts and prisons in Zimbabwe are notoriously bad.
As a result, the legal basis for extradition is solid but the political basis for extradition is more difficult. For Palmer, he clearly has few friends left in this country. However, the only thing better than a lot of friends is one common enemy in the body of Robert Mugabe.
The federal rule for extradition states:
§ 3184. Fugitives from foreign country to United States
Whenever there is a treaty or convention for extradition between the United States and any foreign government, or in cases arising under section 3181(b), any justice or judge of the United States, or any magistrate authorized so to do by a court of the United States, or any judge of a court of record of general jurisdiction of any State, may, upon complaint made under oath, charging any person found within his jurisdiction, with having committed within the jurisdiction of any such foreign government any of the crimes provided for by such treaty or convention, or provided for under section 3181(b), issue his warrant for the apprehension of the person so charged, that he may be brought before such justice, judge, or magistrate, to the end that the evidence of criminality may be heard and considered. Such complaint may be filed before and such warrant may be issued by a judge or magistrate of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia if the whereabouts within the United States of the person charged are not known or, if there is reason to believe the person will shortly enter the United States. If, on such hearing, he deems the evidence sufficient to sustain the charge under the provisions of the proper treaty or convention, or under section 3181(b), he shall certify the same, together with a copy of all the testimony taken before him, to the Secretary of State, that a warrant may issue upon the requisition of the proper authorities of such foreign government, for the surrender of such person, according to the stipulations of the treaty or convention; and he shall issue his warrant for the commitment of the person so charged to the proper jail, there to remain until such surrender shall be made.
Absent the Mugabe complication, there would seem ample reason to extradite Palmer and there is currently a petition being signed by thousands of Americans asking for the Obama Administration to facilitate his arrest. However, here remains the questionable condition of the Zimbabwe courts and prison (which are considering some of the worst in the world).
Palmer, the professional hunter guide, and the owner of the land were all found by the government to be in violation of the country’s Parks and Wildlife Act. The cutting off of the radio collar would seem of particular importance in determining knowledge of the illegality of the hunt. Indeed, the government officials view the use of a bow and arrow as a way to concealing the hunt, though many American hunters value such hunts.
Palmer has continued to insist that he relied on the expertise of local guides “to ensure a legal hunt . . . I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt.”
dsvidm
“Unless he participated in some kind of coverup for their mistake, I just don’t think he did anything wrong.”
= = =
Was it this ‘good doctor’ that turned the head over to authorities?
What, he never noticed the collar, not once? Even during the beheading and skinning?
The collar… the evidence rests in the collar.
Let us just take the doctor at his word (which I do not but for this purpose, we should) that the tracking collar was not in view when he shot the lion. Even IF his co-poachers (aka guides) didn’t know that this was a protected lion, once shot and tracked down for the final kill, then skinned and beheaded, at which point along the way did they notice to collar? At the beheading part or just the skinning part? An honest person would have stopped and reported the situation immediately and make attempts then to clear their name. But no… That’s not what happened. Instead, they attempted to destroy the collar, too. Not to mention carrying off the evidence of the kill only to leave a skinned carcass behind to be discovered.
This dentist is a crises actor. He’s been paid and relocated. It’s the modus operandi. Please get up to speed on these social engineering psyops. Call me a “conspiracy theorist”? That’s part of the game. Make those who tell the truth, your enemy, and those who lie, your friends. It’s working, but don’t let them get away with this. I am your early warning system but the hour is getting late. Do your own research. Thank you!
“Follow the money.”
Do the same with Planned Parenthood and then let’s see your outrage.
Follow the money. Evidence is pointing to all parties knowing the hunt was illegal. Additionally the GPS collar was removed and not turned in (recovered later) and the Dentist wanted to kill a big elephant with no permits. Legitimate permits should be easy to show. The land owner is turning states evidence.
HUMAN carnage. Non flushable.
It would be nice to see some passion on El Chapo being extradited for the carnage he has caused in this country.
The Two Minutes hate on the dentist hunter are excellent.
Inga Annie couldn’t have done it any better.
Lions!
Tigers!
Bears!
Oh my!
1) Distract. Avoid the Planned Parenthood debacle and the fiasco in Iran.
2) How do you think you came across this enraging story?
Why is it in the newfeeds you read/watch at all?
Answer:If you’re reading it or watching it, it’s for you.
Sucker!
3) And plusgood, it uses that old fascist standby: “…select a minority enemy, and create an impression of opposing unanimity. Once done, the leaders of the group have the powerbase to do what they want, making it impossible for anyone in the rest of the 98% to disavow this madness. When it all goes down you will be too terrified, or too busy, to dissent.”
Kudos to All.
Olly, Mugabe also had lion at that celebration. I read an article about the town that donated food to the celebration which included a lion. They were upset that the official who donated the game took it from the trophy hunter quota without consulting the village. The trophy hunters provide a huge source of revenue and food for these villagers. They also are great for conservation efforts. The White Rhinoceros population was something like 1800 back in 1965, and after implementing the trophy hunting programs, the White Rhinoceros population is now over 18,000.
See this link to see what happens when the trophy hunters make their kill. Watch the video in the link with the elephant. It will educate you about their culture.
http://gothunts.com/see-what-happens-to-an-elephant-after-elephant-hunting/
I have a serious problem with holding this doctor responsible. Doctor Palmer hired a licensed guide in another country, he paid all the fees for that company to choose the proper place to hunt, provide the vehicle and driver, paid for a professional hunter from that country to accompany them and provide guidance, and paid for them to pull all the appropriate permits. Unless he participated in some kind of coverup for their mistake, I just don’t think he did anything wrong. It is like hiring a lawyer to represent you in court, and then the lawyer does some illegal things. Is the client who hired that lawyer and trusted him to do what was legal responsible for what the lawyer did?
Precedents have already been set where extradition, although supported by treaties, has been suspended because the country being asked to send over a culprit did not support the death penalty or ‘cruel and unusual punishment’, and the country doing the asking did. So, there are cases where the culprit might get to be punished in the country of a more humane and less corrupt justice system. For all its faults the US is light years more advanced in a humanistic sense than Zimbabwe. A case could be made for the individual to be tried, probably convicted, and sentenced in Zimbabwe but do his time in the US. In this case instead of fulfilling his testosterone fueled id by slaughtering defenseless and necessarily magnificent animals, or jerking off his ego, the scumbag might be given some vaseline. In Zimbabwe, no vaseline.
To be consistent, shouldn’t the Obama administration celebrate the Dentist and condemn those reporting this to be a crime?
I also understand Mugabe had roasted baby elephant at a celebration recently. Isn’t that special.
If we honor extradition requests for those who are charged with the illegal taking of animal life, what reasons are there for disregarding extradition requests/warrants relating to the investigation of war crimes?
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/jul/17/facebook-posts/are-george-w-bush-dick-cheney-unable-visit-europe-/
Obviously we are paying doctors and dentists too much if they have the money to go trophy hunting and can’t think of anything better to do. (sarcasm font)
Pack them all up and ship them over there. Let Zimbabwe justice take its course.
It will be difficult to call upon other nations to criticize the Mugabe system of justice and then extradite a U.S. citizen there for a hunting violation. If we extradite these two doctors it would set a precedent of expectation where others may be sent to Zimbabwe for other crimes despite international concerns about fair justice being administered there.
We have to look at this pragmatically. While Cecil the Lion was certainly loved by many and an important individual for the purpose of the two prides he reigned over, this was a game animal that was hunted under illegal methods. It is the analogue of luring a deer out of a wildlife refuge and shooting it on open rangeland, or a hunter going into an out of bounds area to hunt elk.
I know many are caught up on the outrage of this being a famous lion but that is not something that should be sufficient reason to set a low threshold to extradite a U.S. citizen to a nation having a poor human rights record–with which we have no extradition treaty.
The celebrity status of this lion should not matter.
Paul S: It seems that if one goes to a foreign country and commits a crime, that he has willingly subjected himself to the legal system in that country. There are countries which are notoriously corrupt, with appalling legal systems. For those reasons, I would never set foot in them. But it is offensively arrogant for a rich American to commit a crime in a 3d world country, and then seek to shelter himself from the consequences of his criminality in the comfort and safety of the U.S., on the grounds that the country whose laws he violated doesn’t provide the same legal protections he would receive had he committed the same crime in America. The fact is, the lion killer committed a crime in Zimbabwe, so he should be sent back to Zimbabwe to deal with the consequences.
Looks like corrupt Zimbabwean officials may have enabled this “hunter” to break the law. Of course that type of corruption would NEVER take place here in the good oi’ US of A……. http://www.pubsys.miamiherald.com While this guy deserves punishment if convicted, I’d rather see the LEOs featured in the Miami Herald article convicted and sentenced to time in prison in Zimbabwe. The dentist if convicted should be sentenced to 5 years of shoveling elephant chit.
I think he should fight extradition. I don’t think he is going to get either a fair trial or representation.
Well, it would serve the SOB right. Go around killing animals just for the sport of it. I hope they make an example of him.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter