Dreier Honored For Successful Effort to Change U.S.-Mexico Extradition Policy

October 20, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas,CA) was honored this week for his successful efforts to change the extradition policy of Mexico in order to secure the extradition of the alleged killer of Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff David March. He received the Pursuit of Justice Award from the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, along with Deputy March’s parents, John and Barbara March, and his widow, Teri March.

"No matter the obstacles, cop killers must be brought to justice for their crimes," Dreier said. "Over the last four years, many people have worked together to find a resolution to the tragic case of Deputy March’s murder. In particular, the steadfast resolve and commitment of the March family and Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley have been instrumental in delivering not only for Deputy March, but for other families in similar situations. Mexico’s extradition policy needed to be changed, and thanks to these efforts, it has been."

Deputy March was brutally murdered execution-style on April 29, 2002, during a routine traffic stop. Armando Garcia, the suspect in the crime, fled to Mexico within hours of the Deputy March’s death to elude capture and prosecution by U.S. authorities. A 2001 Mexico Supreme Court decision barring extradition of suspects facing life imprisonment complicated efforts to bring Garcia back to the U.S. In response, Congressman Dreier, along with the March family, Congressional colleagues, and local public officials, reached out to President Bush and other Administration officials and urged them to take aggressive action on the issue. Congressman Dreier also appealed directly to several members of Mexico’s Supreme Court asking them to reconsider the 2001 decision. On November 29, 2005, the Mexican Supreme Court overturned the 2001 ban on cases involving life imprisonment, paving the way for more extraditions to the U.S. from Mexico. Armando Garcia was arrested in Tonala, Jalisco, Mexico on February 23, 2006, and is now awaiting extradition to the U.S.

In addition to his direct communication with Administration and Mexican officials, Dreier has also led the effort in Congress to ensure cop-killers who flee the U.S. can be brought to justice. He authored, with the support of Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, H.R. 3900, the Justice for Peace Officers Act, which makes it a federal crime to kill a peace officer and flee the country. A provision based on this bill was included in H.R. 1751, the Secure Access to Justice and Court Protection Act, which passed the House in November 2005, and is pending in the Senate.

In accepting his award, Dreier thanked Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Steve Ipsen, President of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, for his continued focus on the March case as well as other cases crucial to the safety of the communities in and around Los Angeles.

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EDITOR’S NOTE - Pictured from left to right are - Steve Ipsen, President, Association of Deputy District Attorneys, Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas), Teri March, and Steve Remige, President, Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, who accepted the award on behalf of John and Barbara March.