Rhett Fuller fights extradition to U.S.A. in Appeals Court
Rhett Fuller
Rhett Fuller walked up to the Court of Appeal today for the umpteenth time in his protracted fight against extradition to the United States. Fuller was implicated in the murder of U.S. national Larry Miller, which occurred in Dade County, Florida in 1990. While he has been in and out of the courts, today in the Appeals Court, he challenged the Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs over disclosure of meetings held with representatives of the U.S. government. The crux of the argument presented by Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay, is that if the Supreme Court Justice Samuel Awich was aware of the meetings between the A.G. and the U.S., it may have influenced his decision in that case. Courtenay also argued that correspondence between the A.G. and the U.S., made public in Wikileaks, should be entered into evidence. But that application was rejected. The government’s attorney Magali Perdomo argued that the Attorney General spoke to the U.S. representatives because of obligations outlined by the extradition treaty between the two governments. Fuller, who sat calmly during the arguments, has been fighting the extradition process each step of the way, while his wife shares the burden of the court proceedings. Ann Marie Fuller spoke to the media about today’s hearing.
Ann Marie Fuller, Wife of Rhett Fuller
“It’s only natural that I would be trying to do as much as I could to assist him. I just found the hearings with the Foreign Minister to be very strange and I thought I might just do a little research on my own and I just came across them.”
Jose Sanchez
“So you felt that as a representative of the U.S. Government within the case, he shouldn’t have had those meetings? What was your attorney’s argument that was brought across today?”
Ann Marie Fuller
Ann Marie Fuller
“Well the attorney was just saying that you know, he was just going over the overall prejudice of the case. The fact that the person who is the safeguard by law for appellants, as in Rhett’s case, is also the attorney for the U.S. government and the fact that he had certain conversations with the people from the U.S. which as they mention, there is nothing unusual about the Foreign Minister, but he also wears the hat of attorney general and he should have disclosed information so that our counsel could have dealt with the information and acted accordingly.”
Jose Sanchez
“I believe the justices said that they reject the application. What is the next step now for your family in regards to the case?”
Ann Marie Fuller
“Well this was put in as additional evidence. we still have a lot of submissions that range all the way back to the Privy Council’s decision and where we find that the Privy Council’s decisions were not fully aired out in the Minister’s hearing and the regulations and the guidelines that they put forward were not really adhered to. So that was the basic of requesting a judicial review which Judge Awich rejected the review request, but fortunately we were able to get this review before the Court of Appeal. So we still have all of that evidence for them to consider. But they’ve already seen that the information exists and that indeed the minister did act in an unusual way which is prejudicial to my husband. So they saw it.”
Jose Sanchez
“I believe I heard your attorney say that the CCJ may be the next option?”
Ann Marie Fuller
“Well it all depends on how it goes on Monday.”
Daniel Ortiz, 7 News
“Ma’am, you guys have been fighting this case for years; I imagine that it is very expensive and taxing on your family emotionally. How do you guys keep up the fate seeing that the many steps you’ve taken have been struck down by the court?”
Ann Marie Fuller
“I think that the fact that our family has been fighting for the length of time that we have been fighting is a testament to the fact that we believe what we have submitted in the bundle of evidence for my husband’s behalf because if we didn’t believe it, then we wouldn’t have put everything that we have into it. And I hope that the judges would consider even that fact. I mean, in life sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in. If Nelson Mandela didn’t stand up for what he believed in, I mean then what’s the use of going through life.”
The session continues on Monday morning.
Fuller should man up and go to meet his Maker in Florida. I think they will give him the choice of a nice lethal injection cocktail or a ride on “Old Sparky,” the electric chair. Or he can use the opportunity to clear his good name.
Like they say, don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
Every day Fuller remains in Belizean custody and is taken to court is a drain on the treasury and the judiciary.Belize has an extradition treaty with the USA and others which should be honored.This man “Fuller” is a murderer and should be sent back for trial.His drug money most be going into the right hands.
Let the man go, why are we letting these americans dictate how we run our country
Request extradition of any US Citizen to Belize, and your firends in the USA will laugh at you. It should be downright unconstitutional to extradite any Belizean to the USA.
Unless you live the USA system in person, people are not aware of the deep hatred the USA carrys for people of black nations. Slice it, dice it, cut it, however you may, America is a land of police brutality, racial discrimination and war mongering ways.
Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez you guys are my heroes. At the risk of antagonizing the evil American empire, you chose sovereignity and nationalism over @$$ kissing the Gringos.
Belize? We have a whoring government and a mentality that Americans are God and Belizeans are simply black slaves that are disposable.
Why has Barrow & Co. made Belize a haven for killers from around the world? One must assume there are some criminal payments being passed somewhere, because the theme is too consistent.
He will get a fair trial in the U.S., let him go and have it. But probably a fair trial is the last thing he wants.
An individual who harbors a murderer would be arrested. A nation that harbors a murderer is no less criminal.
you all are always talking of what you don’t have a clue. how do you know he is a murderer storm?Hypocrite.
Uncle Benji, I think you revealed you are living in a past that no longer exists.
You call the USA a racist, anti-black nation — but they elected a black president with white votes, brown votes, yellow votes, and black votes. Did you miss that news flash?
In church just this morning my pastor was talking about how we are ALL God’s children. Get past skin color. A murderer, white or black, needs to face justice. A victim, white or black, deserves justice.
Storm, you are out of your league on this blog. You would be best served if you kept away from this group. Everytime you open your mouth, you say something assinine.
First…. On what grounds are you assuming that Fuller is a killer? Oh, I forgot, the USA said so.
2ndly…. Obama was (noticed that I am using past tense) a token black boy sitting in for the ultra rich, white, supremacists that run America. His days are numbered. Nov 06th 2012, the boy is history.
3rdly… Quit being such a nerdy blogger. Good Gawd, you yearn to be the first blogger on every single subject. The problem is that you are part of the Geritol crowd. “Di white man se da so, so wen di white man talk, Storm wa bow down.”
Get up off your knees, Storm.
Whatever the outcome, whatever may have or have not transpired….This is a Belizean family, as such I pray that God strengthens this family, strengthen their faith and know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Rhett best hope that his co-defendants testify in his favour. Both his co-defendants did their time and are now out, if they testify in his favour it would not matter since they were both found guilty and did their time. Just not sure how his co-defendants feel about him, they did the time while he was in Belize. I am going off memory but I think the guy that was shot was a police informant which makes it worst…
Since when has Belizeans reverted to being “Black Slaves” ? Re Uncle Benji. I thought we were BELIZEANS!! I guess he is,like some Black Americans,still looking for 3 acres and a mule..So sad!
Would Fuller, as an ALLEGED murderer, be willing to stand trial in Belize, found guilty and sentenced to life in a Belizean prison? Or would he settle for extradiction to the US, found guilty and sentenced to life in an American prison?
I agree with Uncle Benji. His message is on target. Ideally all things should be equal; in reality, cho!! unu crazi. How he delivers his message could be more diplomatic. If you all think he is wrong, come live in the States. The white man dat comes to Belize is not the same white man over here. Don’t be naive. The USA was built on racism and that will never change. Come see for yourselves. Come. Unu come and si fu unu self.
Can someone tell me why the US wants Rhet so badly obstensivley because he was involved with the murder of some gangsta. What’s up with that. There has got to be more to this story. Lot a man are accused of doing worse and the hue and cry is absent.