Nezirovic v. Holt

990 F. Supp. 2d 594, 2013 WL 6195720, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 168500
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Virginia
DecidedNovember 27, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 7:13cv428
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 990 F. Supp. 2d 594 (Nezirovic v. Holt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nezirovic v. Holt, 990 F. Supp. 2d 594, 2013 WL 6195720, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 168500 (W.D. Va. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

MICHAEL F. URBANSKI, District Judge.

Petitioner Almaz Nezirovic seeks his immediate release from detention pending the outcome of the present habeas corpus proceeding. Nezirovic asserts that he poses no risk of flight and that special circumstances exist requiring his release on bond. Upon consideration of the appropriate legal standard, the entire record in this case and the extradition proceeding, In re Extradition of Almaz Nezirovic, No. 7:12cv039, the court is compelled to conclude that Nezirovic has failed to meet his burden of establishing, by clear and convincing evidence, that special circumstances exist allowing bond in this case. As such, Nezirovic’s application for bond pending habeas review is DENIED.

I.

Nezirovic’s bond application is the fifth time in the past two years that he has sought release on bond, albeit in different procedural settings. A review of this history is necessary to place the pending application in proper context.

Nezirovic is a native and citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina (“Bosnia”). In 1997, Nezirovic entered the United States as a refugee. In so doing, he completed certain immigration forms seeking admission to and permanent residence in this country. [597]*597Nezirovic applied for naturalized citizenship in 2004 and was interviewed in connection with that application in 2006. Over the last 16 years, Nezirovic has lived and worked in Roanoke, Virginia without incident.

A federal grand jury issued an indictment on June 9, 2011 charging Nezirovic with fraudulently procuring permanent residence in the United States and making false statements on his application for citizenship. The indictment charges that Nezirovic failed to disclose that, while serving with the Croatian Defense Council (HVO), he assaulted and inhumanely treated Serb civilians detained at the Rabie internment camp. United States v. Almaz Nezirovic, No. 7:11cr0047, Dkt. # 3. Nezirovic was released on bond on June 28, 2011, and satisfactorily met the terms and conditions of his bond until his arrest on the underlying extradition complaint on June 17, 2012. The criminal trial has been continued to May 12, 2014.

In the extradition complaint filed on July 16, 2012, the United States asserts that Bosnia seeks return of Nezirovic to stand trial for alleged war crimes, including torture and inhumane treatment of Serbian civilians in his custody while he served as a guard in the Rabie internment camp in 1992. Magistrate Judge Robert S. Ballou denied Nezirovic’s request for bond at his initial appearance on the date of his arrest. Nezirovic renewed his request, and a bond hearing was held on October 10, 2012. On November 19, 2012, 2012 WL 5842945, the magistrate judge denied Nezirovic’s renewed request, ruling that Nezirovic failed to meet his burden of showing that special circumstances existed warranting bond and that he is not a risk of flight. On September 16, 2013, 2013 WL 5202420, the magistrate judge certified Nezirovic as subject to extradition under 18 U.S.C. § 3184. On September 18, 2013, the magistrate judge denied Nezirovic’s request to reconsider the denial of his application for bond.

That same day, September 18, 2013, Nezirovic filed a habeas corpus petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and on October 7, 2013 again requested that he be released on bond. An evidentiary hearing was held on October 8, 2013 followed by supplemental briefing. Nezirovic argues that special circumstances justify his release on bond, including his exemplary conduct on bond during the pendency of the criminal case, the deterioration in the condition of his health while incarcerated, the passage of more than twenty years since the alleged war crimes, the delay in these proceedings, and the complexity of the legal issues. The government counters that the extradition statute affords the court no authority to release Nezirovic on bond following certification of his extradition, and, in the alternative, that he has not met' his burden of establishing special circumstances for a bond.

II.

Bail is not ordinarily available in extradition cases “due to the foreign relations interest of the United States in successfully returning persons subject to criminal prosecution to the requesting country.” In re Extradition of Nacif-Borge, 829 F.Supp. 1210, 1214 (D.Nev.1993) (citations omitted); see also In re Extradition of Russell, 805 F.2d 1215, 1216 (5th Cir.1986) (holding that there is a presumption against bail in extradition cases). Since extradition cases are not criminal in nature, the provisions of the Bail Reform Act do not apply. Kamrin v. United States, 725 F.2d 1225, 1227-1228 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 817, 105 S.Ct. 85, 83 L.Ed.2d 32 (1984); In re Extradition of Mironescu, 296 F.Supp.2d 632, 634 (M.D.N.C.2003). The legal standards [598]*598which 'govern release or detention of an extraditee are governed by federal case law. In re Extradition of Maniero, 950 F.Supp. 290, 293 (S.D.Cal.1996).

In 1903, the Supreme Court established the standard for bail in extradition cases which remains applicable today: bail is available only where “special circumstances” are shown. Wright v. Henkel, 190 U.S. 40, 63, 23 S.Ct. 781, 47 L.Ed. 948 (1903). “There is a presumption against bail in extradition cases and only ‘special circumstances’- justify release on bail.” United States v. Kin-Hong, 83 F.3d 523, 524 (1st Cir.1996) (collecting cases). In addition to showing special circumstances, the extraditee must also show that he will not flee or pose a danger to any other person or to the community. In re Extradition of Nacif-Borge, 829 F.Supp. at 1215.

The government argues that the court has no authority to release petitioner on bond following certification of extradition by the magistrate judge. The government focuses on the final portion of the extradition statute, which indicates that after certification, the magistrate judge “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.” 18 U.S.C. § 3184. “The United States takes the position that the plain language of the extradition statutes anticipates that there is no opportunity for bail after certification of an extradition request.” Mem. of Law Opposing Post-Certification Bail, Dkt. # 10, at 2.

The government’s argument has not fared well in the federal courts. First, many courts, including three circuit courts of appeals, have addressed the issue of bond in international extradition cases following certification. These decisions, applying the Wright v. Henkel special circumstances standard, contain no hint that a federal court lacks the power to issue a bond post-certification. See Salerno v. United States,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
990 F. Supp. 2d 594, 2013 WL 6195720, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 168500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nezirovic-v-holt-vawd-2013.