'Dog' praised for crime fighting

The crime-fighting duo of TV bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman and his wife, Beth, were honored by Hawaii lawmakers for getting crooks off the street. "I hate to say this, but for felons and ex-cons, I'm their president. What I do, they shall follow," Chapman said after the ceremony. "I'm the poster child for rehabilitation in America."

Chapman stars in the Hawaii-based reality series "Dog the Bounty Hunter," which follows the couple's exploits in apprehending people who have avoided arrest warrants.

Duane Chapman faces some charges himself. He and two colleagues face charges that they made an illegal arrest during their June 2003 capture of fugitive convicted rapist Andrew Luster, the Max Factor heir, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Tuesday's commendation was separate from another measure before the state Legislature urging the Mexican government to drop its extradition efforts.

Before he hunted down fugitives, Chapman was a member of a biker gang and was convicted in 1977 of being an accessory to murder. He was sentenced to five years in prison.