Extradition to the US from the UK—Bridgeman and McKinnon

There are two extradition stories out of the UK, neither of which is generating nearly as much controversy as the extradition of the NatWest Three.

The first story is about Darren Bridgeman, who is accused by US police of murdering Tracey Bennawit and attempting to murder Adam Strickland.^[1] According to prosecutors, Mr. Bridgeman visited “his ex-partner Tracey Bennawit … armed with a semi-automatic weapon.”^[2] He allegedly shot Ms. Bennawit and her then-current partner, Adam Strickland, who in turn identified Mr. Bridgeman when “questioned by investigators while in hospital in Orlando.”^[3]

Mr. Bridgeman holds dual US and UK citizenship, and he has refused to consent to extradition to the United States.^[4] He turned himself in to British police last night.^[5]

The other individual who is to facing extradition to the United States is Gary McKinnon, who we have discussed a number of times before. If you recall, he is accused of hacking into US government computers to, as he put it, look for evidence of UFOs. The United States had to provide assurances that Mr. McKinnon would not be sent to Guantanamo Bay if extradited, and it seems that satisfied the court. British Home Secretary John Reid has approved the court’s decision to allow his extradition to go forward.^[6] He has 14 days to file an appeal against that decision, which he has vowed to do.^[7]

Both men face a very steep challenge to avoid being extradited to the United States. As we have pointed out at great length before, the extradition framework between the US and the UK is extremely one-sided. If, however, the House of Commons effectively stops the NatWest Three’s extradition by implementing special legislation, both Mr. McKinnon and Mr. Bridgeman could use that decision as precedent against their own extradition.

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[1] Briton in Court Over US Shootings, BBC, Jul. 7, 2006.
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Love Triangle Murder Suspect Hands Himself in to UK Police, Daily Mail (UK), Jul. 7, 2006.
[6] Go-Ahead for Hacker’s Extradition, BBC, Jul. 6, 2006.
[7] Bobbi Johnson, McKinnon Extradition Inches Closer, Guardian Unlimited, Jul 7, 2006.