Federal Appeals Court To Hear Arguments In Ex-Lithuanian Judge's Case

CHICAGO (AP) — An appeals court will hear oral arguments in the case of a former Lithuanian judge and lawmaker jailed in Chicago and fighting extradition to her homeland .

Neringa Venckiene's lawyers will ask the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to delay her extradition on Tuesday until her U.S. asylum application is processed. Government attorneys will argue there are no legal grounds to delay it.

The 47-year-old faces charges that include reporting a false crime linked to her claims a ring of influential pedophiles exists in Lithuania. She says she'll be killed by those she's angered with those accusations if sent to Lithuania.

The State Department approved her extradition in April. U.S. authorities could extradite her immediately but signaled they won't until a 7th Circuit ruling, which will likely take several weeks.

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