United States v. Matta-Ballesteros
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
71 F.3d 754 (1995)

- Written by Emily Pokora, JD
Facts
Juan Matta-Ballesteros (defendant) was kidnapped from his home by United States marshals and Honduran special troops in Honduras. Matta-Ballesteros was forcibly taken to the United States Air Force base in Honduras and transported to the United States, where he was held at an Illinois federal prison before being sent to California, where he was convicted of several crimes. Matta-Ballesteros claimed that while he was held prisoner and during his flight to the United States, the marshals beat him and tortured him using a stun gun. The kidnapping was not disputed. Matta-Ballesteros challenged his prosecution, citing United States v. Alvarez-Machain to argue that the Honduras-United States extradition treaty was self-executing, affording him rights that were violated by the United States marshals during his capture and detention. The conviction in the Central District of California was upheld. Matta-Ballesteros appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Poole, J.)
Concurrence (Noonan, J.)
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