Ex-Jamaica cop to be extradited from NY over 2007 murder

(Jamaica Gleaner) A former Jamaican policeman has lost an appeal to prevent his extradition from New York.

The ruling was made in a New York court in an application filed by former cop Mark Russell.

Russell had argued in court that he could not get a fair trial if he were to be extradited to Jamaica and that there were inconsistencies in the evidence supplied by the Jamaican authorities.

However, the judge dismissed his application.

This means the way is now clear for extradition proceedings to begin.

Last September, a New York judge had ruled that the policeman should be extradited to face a trial for the July 2007 murder of Ravin Thompson.

Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn had made a ruling in 2009 for Russell and another policeman, Morris Lee, to be charged with Thompson’s murder.

But Russell had left the island before the ruling was made.