BONE TO PICK FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman, shown earlier this month at a signing for his new book, must notify U.S. court officials of his whereabouts pending an Oct. 26 hearing on the dismissal of his criminal charges in Mexico.

Judge keeps ‘Dog’ on a short leash

A federal magistrate released Duane "Dog" Chapman on his own recognizance pending an Oct. 26 court hearing on the dismissal of criminal charges in Mexico.

But while Chapman is free to travel, he is still required to notify court officials of his whereabouts.

"We're devastated," Chapman and wife and partner Beth Chapman said in a written statement. The Chapmans are currently on the East Coast promoting his recently released book "You Can Run, but You Can't Hide."

"We love this country and are proud to be Americans, so this is absolutely devastating that we can now roam free in Mexico, but not in our own country," they said in the statement.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry M. Kurren issued the order yesterday in the wake of a Puerto Vallarta trial court's July 27 decision dismissing deprivation of liberty charges against Chapman, associate Timothy Chapman and son Leland Chapman.

Mexican prosecutors charged the Chapmans after their highly publicized June 2003 capture of convicted serial rapist and Max Factor heir Andrew Luster.

Chapman's Honolulu attorney, Brook Hart, said the Chapmans have grounds to be upset because the matter was completely dismissed in Mexico.

However, the Mexican prosecutor has appealed.

Kurren set a date of Oct. 26 for oral arguments on whether the warrant against the Chapmans in the United States should be set aside.

"Our position is it should and that the trial court's ruling in Mexico is solid, well reasoned and based upon treaty, law, statutory law and case law in Mexico," Hart said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Johnson could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, the Chapmans have been in "excellent compliance" with conditions imposed by the court and have never been denied requests for travel since the case began, Hart said. "These are the most highly visible people in the entire country -- there's no reason to believe they won't show up."