A judge in San Francisco's District Court yesterday said he would sign an order authorising the extradition to Britain of Jimmy Smyth (42) who was one of 38 prisoners to escape from the Maze in 1983.
Judge Charles Legge also ordered that Smyth, who had been free on $1.5 million bail since he was arrested in San Francisco in 1992, be taken back into custody. Smyth's attorney, Ms Karen Snell, said she would appeal the ruling to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. If that failed, Secretary of State Warren Christopher would then have to review the case and decide, which could take 30 days.