[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 102 (Thursday, July 17, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       JUSTICE FOR FARRIEL BRITT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Etheridge] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I stand before my colleagues today, 
immensely frustrated and troubled by the judicial system in Costa Rica 
and the lack of enforcement authority by the United States of America. 
One of my constituents, a father from Southern Pines in the Second 
Congressional District of North Carolina, has been waiting patiently 
for years for justice to be done. He is awaiting the return of his 6-
year-old daughter, Holly Dantzler, from the country of Costa Rica.
  Many people watching today may know Mr. Farriel Britt's story. He was 
the subject of a ``Prime Time Live'' story that was aired in May of 
this year because his daughter had been kidnapped by his ex-wife, Terry 
Dantzler, and taken to Costa Rica. The State of North Carolina and the 
State of South Carolina, where Mr. Britt's ex-wife lived, both agreed 
that Mr. Britts should have custody of his daughter and both States 
have granted him custody of his daughter. But Mr. Britt's' ex-wife 
kidnapped her and fled to Costa Rica where she has thus far escaped 
American justice.
  Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Dantzler has an international kidnapping warrant 
outstanding against her. An international kidnapping warrant. One would 
think that the State Department would be working night and day to make 
sure that this woman is arrested and her child returned to her father 
in the United States, but apparently the United States of America is 
powerless in the face of one Costa Rican judge.
  Mr. Speaker, I am frustrated because Mr. Farriel Britt turned to me 
for help when he could not fight this fight alone anymore. I have to 
say, I thought the fact that I was a U.S. Congressman, elected by the 
people of the Second District of North Carolina, would be of some help 
to him. But I have since learned that while I may get my phone calls 
returned by the State Department more quickly these days, the State 
Department apparently is powerless because they have not responded to 
my needs nor Mr. Britt's.
  Our State Department issued a request for extradition to the Costa 
Rican Government. That means that Mrs. Dantzler was supposed to be 
arrested by the Costa Rican Government and sent back to the United 
States. Mr. Britt flew to Costa Rica because Holly would need someone 
to care for her when her mother was arrested and taken into custody. As 
my colleagues may expect, Mr. Britt thought his daughter would soon be 
returned to him. He waited during the weekend of Father's Day on June 
17. I cannot imagine the agony of waiting in a hotel room during 
Father's Day for the return of a daughter whom you have not seen for 3 
years. But he waited to no avail.
  While Mr. Britt was waiting, the judge in Costa Rica was meeting 
behind closed doors with Mrs. Dantzler's attorney. They met not once 
but twice. Some sort of deal was worked out so that Mrs. Dantzler could 
keep her child and only be held under House arrest. House arrest is a 
sham in the country of Costa Rica. There is no method of enforcing 
house arrest in Costa Rica. No officer is assigned to guard Mrs. 
Dantzler's door, no one watches her house, so she is able to come and 
go as she pleases.
  If that is the case, I wonder what exactly prevents her from fleeing 
Costa Rica and going to some other destination.
  Mr. Speaker, I am troubled that a judge charged with enforcing an 
extradition order from the United States of America is flaunting her 
authority in the face of this country. This is a criminal case and she 
would be, in this country, removed from office. The State of North 
Carolina already decided the custody case. As far as this judge is 
concerned, Mr. Britt should just wait indefinitely for his daughter to 
be returned to the United States, but Mr. Britt has been waiting for 
his child. Mr. Britt has been waiting for 3 long years. Now that he has 
finally located her in Costa Rica, why should he be subjected to the 
whims of one judge in Costa Rica?
  The U.S. Department of State has asked the Government of Costa Rica 
to arrest this woman and send her home so that Holly Dantzler can be 
returned to her father. This simple justice is being subverted by one 
judge in Costa Rica who is flaunting the law.
  Today I request that the State Department demand the Government of 
Costa Rica to remove this judge from Mr. Britt's' case and enforce this 
extradition order so that this child can be returned to the United 
States of America and be reunited with her father as the law demands.
  I thank the Speaker for allowing me this time to speak in behalf of a 
father who is being unjustly denied the companionship of his daughter.

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