Former judge remains confident Joran van der Sloot extradition will move forward

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - It has been five days since we first learned that the man many believe to be behind Natalee Holloway’s disappearance could be facing justice here in the states. We learned on Monday that a federal public defender has been appointed to defend him upon his arrival.

Yet we still don’t know when we will finally see van der Sloot in a U.S. courtroom.

We spoke with former federal judge and current Cumberland Law Professor John Carroll to learn more about the extradition process and when we could see van der Sloot arrive in the states. He stresses it is hard to say right now just because this is not a process that happens often between the U.S. and Peru. It can happen because we have a treaty with Peru, but it is far more common between states.

Carroll now serves as a law professor at Samford and stresses that he remains confident that the extradition will occur because Peruvian authorities already approved the extradition.

Still, van der Sloot’s defense lawyer is fighting the extradition and told Fox News Digital that he feared his client would face additional charges once he arrives in the states.

We asked Carroll and he stressed that would not occur, and this sounds like a tactical move by van der Sloot’s lawyer.

“It sounds like to me an effort to delay. Whatever crime that was committed, was committed outside of the United States as far as homicide goes. So there would be no venue in the United States for that particular crime. So I just think that he is setting up some arguments to make in the Peruvian court.”

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