A Mexican court has granted popular television bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman a stay in his criminal case and the extradition proceedings against him.

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The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported Saturday that on Oct. 17, an appeals court in Guadalajara granted an order to stop the criminal case against Chapman, his son Leland and associate Timothy Chapman pending further evidence and testimony.

The Mexican government had requested U.S. marshals to arrest Chapman and his posse in Hawaii last month on charges that their June 2003 capture of convicted rapist and Max Factor heir Andrew Luster violated Mexican laws against bounty hunting.

The group, which stars in the A&E series "Dog: The Bounty Hunter," faces four to six months in prison if convicted.

Chapman contends that someone he thought was a Mexican law enforcement officer was supervising his pursuit of Luster, which would have made the capture legal.

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"It's like the hunter has become the hunted," he barked.