The hearing was rescheduled from Monday, when judges issued a continuance because the Federal Court in Mexico had not received the needed paper work to proceed from the lower court in Puerto Vallarta.

In a statement released by Woods, Chapman's attorney William Bollard said the timing of the hearing is unusual because of the holiday.

"This is truly extraordinary because all of the courts in Mexico are officially closed for three weeks beginning on Dec. 18," Bollard said. "The federal judge has made specific arrangements for a skeletal ('bare bones') staff to be there on the 22nd to hold the hearing."

The Chapmans will not be present at this hearing.

The trio, stars of the top-rated A&E television show "Dog the Bounty Hunter," were arrested on Sept 14 by U.S. marshals in Hawai'i on charges of illegal detention in the June 18, 2003 capture in Mexico of cosmetics heir Andrew Luster.

The three spent one night in the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu and were released after posting bail.

They have been ordered to appear at an extradition hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

Since the arrest, hundreds of thousands of fans from across the country and around the world — including 29 members of Congress — have expressed support for the Chapmans for bringing serial rapist Luster to justice.