The French cabinet approved a draft law for extraditing...

The French cabinet approved a draft law for extraditing criminals to the United States. The draft law reaffirmed France's ban on extraditing any criminal who faced the death sentence in the US while making it easier for Paris to return Americans wanted for lesser crimes. Despite this approval it was not clear when the leading extradition case would be decided. Washington has been pressing Paris to extradite ex-hippie guru Ira Einhorn, who was convicted of killing his girlfriend Helen "Holly" Maddux in 1977, and sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment in 1993 by a court in Philadelphia. Captured living in southwestern France, Einhorn was approved for extradition by a French court in May. Justice officials said it was up to Prime Minister Lionel Jospin to sign the final extradition order for Einhorn, but French legal authorities wanted to study the case more closely before deciding whether to propose this to him. Einhorn said he was framed and has always denied the murder. He has called himself a symbol for US death row inmates even though Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has given France personal assurances that he would not be executed if returned.