To extradite is to transfer an incarcerated person from one jurisdiction to another, so that the person might be tried or punished for crimes committed in the latter jurisdiction. An extradition request is initiated by one state or country, which might be granted or denied depending on the laws or agreements between them.
In American law, extradition between states was provided for in Article IV Section 2 of the Constitution, the Extradition Clause. It is governed by 18 U.S. Code ยง3182 as well as the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act, though the latter has not been adopted in all states. Most requests for extradition between states must be honored, though there are a few grounds on which requests might be denied and exact rules vary between states.
Extradition procedures between different countries also vary. Generally, a country will not grant a request for extradition if the alleged crime is not also illegal there. Most countries also do not allow extradition for political crimes, known as a political-offense exception.
[Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]