The two American men accused of helping former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn escape prosecution in Tokyo won an eleventh-hour reprieve in their battle to avoid extradition to Japan.
Just minutes before defense lawyers feared Michael Taylor and his son Peter would be placed on a flight to Tokyo, a U.S. judge on Thursday delayed the transfer to allow more time to consider their last-ditch petition to block the extradition.
In a court filing, the Taylors said they were notified after 5 p.m. Wednesday that the State Department had approved Japan’s request for extradition. Their lawyers said they believed the two men were set to be transferred on a 1 p.m. flight Thursday from Logan International Airport, which wouldn’t allow enough "opportunity to receive and review the administrative record and to seek judicial review of the Secretary’s decision.”