U.S. Judges Participate in Jury Trial Training in Vladivostok
In late April 2008, the Russian American Rule of Law Consortium (RAROLC) hosted a week-long USAID-supported seminar in Vladivostok, Russia on Jury Trial Litigation for judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys from the Primorskiy Krai Court. A delegation from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, led by The Honorable John C. Coughenour, and the U.S. Consul General in Vladivostok, Thomas Armbruster, participated in the event.
The seminar focused on techniques used in jury trials and explored recent developments in Russian criminal procedure and constitutional law, with special emphasis on the constitutional rights of criminal defendants. Currently, the Russian Supreme Court annuls 20 percent of all verdicts decided by a jury, often due to technical violations during jury selection. On the final day of training, participants had an opportunity to apply their new skills in a mock trial based on a real case from the Vladivostok Regional Court, with a jury made up of local law students.
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U.S. Consul General Thomas Armbruster quizzes Russian law students on jury trials as part of a USAID-supported seminar in Vladivostok.
Photo Credit: Dmitriy Motovilov, PAS Vladivostok |
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