Israeli Judge Offers Compromise in Case of Teen U.S. Wants Extradited
A judge proposed Wednesday that a Maryland murder suspect who fled to Israel should voluntarily return to the United States for trial but be allowed to serve his sentence in Israel if convicted.
The suspect’s lawyer said the compromise was reasonable. Israeli and U.S. prosecutors asked for time to study the deal. All parties must respond to the judge by Monday.
Samuel Sheinbein, 17, faces murder charges in Montgomery County, Md., for the September killing of Alfredo Tello Jr.
Sheinbein fled to Israel shortly after the killing and has been fighting extradition, invoking an Israeli law that bars Israeli citizens from being sent abroad to stand trial. He claims he is a citizen because his father has an Israeli passport.
However, Israel’s Justice Ministry has argued that Sheinbein can be extradited because there is doubt about his citizenship.
Sheinbein’s lawyer, David Libai, said the proposal Wednesday by Jerusalem District Court Judge Moshe Ravid was “worthy of favorable consideration.”
If the compromise is accepted by all sides, it could cut short what were expected to be lengthy legal proceedings in Israel.
The Montgomery County state attorney, Robert Dean, said he would not comment until he had studied the judge’s proposal.
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