Current through 11/5/2024 election
Section 16-19-134 - Securing the attendance of a defendant who is outside the United States(1) When a criminal action for an offense committed in this state is pending in a criminal court of this state against a defendant who is in a foreign country with which the United States has an extradition treaty, and when the accusatory instrument charges an offense that is declared in the treaty to be an extraditable offense, and when the district attorney of the judicial district in which the offense was allegedly committed desires the international extradition of the defendant, the district attorney shall apply to the governor, requesting the governor to apply to the president of the United States, to institute extradition proceedings for the return of the defendant to this country and state for the purpose of prosecution of the action. The district attorney's application shall comply with the rules, regulations, and guidelines established by the governor for such applications and shall be accompanied by all of the accusatory instruments, affidavits, and other documents required by the governor's rules, regulations, and guidelines.(2) Upon receipt of the district attorney's application, the governor, if satisfied that the defendant is in the foreign country in question, that the offense charged is an extraditable offense pursuant to the treaty in question, and that there are no factors or impediments which in law may preclude such an extradition, may in his or her discretion submit an application, addressed to the secretary of state of the United States, requesting that the president of the United States institute extradition proceedings for the return of the defendant from the foreign country. The governor's application shall comply with the rules, regulations, and guidelines established by the secretary of state of the United States for such applications and shall be accompanied by all of the accusatory instruments, affidavits, and other documents required by such rules, regulations, and guidelines.(3) Nothing in this section shall preclude prosecution in another country of a fugitive from justice charged with committing a crime in Colorado, if the other country offers domestic prosecution of such fugitives as an alternative to extradition. This includes, but is not limited to, prosecution in Mexico pursuant to the Mexican federal penal code.(4) The provisions of this section also apply equally to extradition or attempted extradition of a person who is a fugitive following the entry of a judgment of conviction against him or her in a criminal court of this state.L. 2004: Entire section added, p. 353, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2006: (1) amended, p. 342, § 7, effective July 1.