President Obama should not consider giving any assistance to Portugal as long as it continues to shield violent American fugitive George Wright, 30th District Republicans Sen. Robert Singer and Assemblymen Dave Rible and Sean T. Kean said today.
“George Wright is a convicted killer who escaped from prison and is a fugitive from justice,” Singer, R-Ocean and Monmouth, said. “The Portuguese courts erred when they ruled that the statute of limitations on his murder conviction has expired. A convicted murderer cannot just run out the clock on his sentence by hijacking a plane and leaving the country, as Wright has done. He must be brought to justice and serve the term of imprisonment to which he was sentenced.”
Wright, 68, gunned down Walter Paterson during a 1962 gas station holdup in Wall, NJ. He was among a group of prisoners that broke out of Bayside State Prison in Cumberland County in 1970 before hijacking a plane from the U.S. to Algeria with other Black Liberation Army militants. He was arrested by Portuguese police last September, but Portugal’s Supreme Court has refused the United States’ appeal to extradite him.
“George Wright is a cold-blooded killer who escaped justice and has not paid his debt to society,” Rible, R-Monmouth and Ocean, the Assembly Republican Conference Leader said. “Portugal’s refusal to hand him over to American authorities should not be forgotten when it has a hand out to American taxpayers for assistance. President Obama should demand Wright’s extradition before even thinking about sending another dollar to Portugal.”
Recent reports suggest that Portugal’s economy could follow Greece’s debt crisis and has asked for the United States to help resolve Europe’s financial problems.
“Keeping this killer from justice is a sign of contempt for the family of Walter Paterson and the American judicial system,” Kean, R-Monmouth and Ocean, said. “President Obama must refuse to help any country that refuses to respect our laws by harboring a man who has committed violent crimes against Americans.” TLS.
try worrying about us not them…escepialy lakewood..!!
we shouldnt be paying ANY country money when our own is in such a financial crisis!
here you have prime example: REPUBLICANS standing up for justice, and not ignoring nor rewarding those who enable criminals.
while those democrats like Sheila Oliver spend time in office pushing for license plates on bicycles, and Charles Mainor made legislation that would make it a crime to use defaced or stolen firearms against police officers- COMPLETELY FORGETTING TO INCLUDE CITIZENS!
Yet right how about the people that right here, take care of us worry about jobs, homes, schools, families the taxes. Bush was not any better. We went to war because someone disrespected his father (that’s the real reason). Take care of Lakewood, worry about New Jersey. Please.
What a reader of this article must remember is that these elected officials represent their ENTIRE district. Wall Township falls within their district. The crime Mr. Wright is accused of committing, occured within the district. Therefore, these fine men have my support and every right to stand with justice and see that it be served!
How about adding to that list countries that protect fugitives
from Mexico?! Sheeesh!