An ex-Lithuanian lawmaker appeared faint and had to be helped to a seat in court as a U.S. judge refused to halt her extradition to her homeland, where she says she exposed a network of influential pedophiles.
After the legal defeat Thursday for 47-year-old Neringa Venckiene in the U.S. District Court, her lawyers said they'd promptly appeal to a federal appeals court. That likely means she still won't be extradited for weeks.
It took Judge Virginia Kendall an hour to read her ruling. She said judges have little power to halt an extradition after the State Department signs off.
Venckiene was also a judge in Lithuania. She appeared near to collapsing when it became clear the ruling wasn't going her way. Kendall called a 5-minute recess while Venckiene drank water and dabbed her face with a tissue.
