A group of delegates from the Republic of Georgia last week visited the United States to learn about the U.S. criminal justice system and enhance their efforts to modernize their justice system. The visit began in Washington, DC, where the delegates met with various representatives from the State Department, Pretrial Services for the District of Columbia, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Department of Justice (DOJ). After their short stay in Washington, the group travelled to Chattanooga, Tenn., where they were hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
During their visit, the delegates studied how the probation and pretrial services system operates in federal court. The week included meetings in both Chattanooga and Knoxville with the U.S. Attorney, assistant U.S. attorneys, U.S. probation officers, U.S. District and Magistrate Judges, local defense attorneys, and federal, state, and local law enforcement representatives. They also attended court hearings to observe typical proceedings in federal court.
Additionally, to ensure they experienced the local culture, leisure activities included a baseball game, a cookout, and concerts at the annual Chattanooga Riverbend Festival.
The Georgian delegates participating in this U.S. visit included a judge, three prosecutors, a defense attorney, other government officials and legal professionals, and a translator.
The delegation was accompanied by Tracey Newell, the director of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, and by Tatiana Pataraia and Nata Tsnoriashvili, Georgian staff attorneys at the U.S. Embassy who work with the DOJ’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) program in Georgia.
For the last two years, Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Steve Neff, a federal prosecutor with the Chattanooga office, was detailed as OPDAT’s RLA in Tbilisi. While on detail in Tbilisi, AUSA Neff worked closely with Georgian government officials as well as the Georgian legal and law enforcement community, including Justice Ministry officials, prosecutors, judges, investigators, and members of parliament, to develop and implement justice sector assistance programming aimed at modernizing Georgia’s criminal justice system. The visit of these delegates to the United States is a continuation of those efforts.
U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said his office and staff were pleased to host the Georgian delegation in their quest to enhance their justice system. “We are honored that they would choose to visit our office and district to help them understand the American system in a way that could help them further strengthen the rule of law in Georgia and aid them in their goal of Euro-Atlantic integration, including accession into the European Union and NATO,” he said. “Our partnership and friendship with Georgia is vital to the interests of both nations, and we welcomed the opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge with our friends from Georgia.”
Source: Department of Justice
A group of delegates from the Republic of Georgia last week visited the United States to learn about the U.S. criminal justice system and enhance their efforts to modernize their justice system. The visit began in Washington, DC, where the delegates met with various representatives from the State Department, Pretrial Services for the District of Columbia, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Department of Justice (DOJ). After their short stay in Washington, the group travelled to Chattanooga, Tenn., where they were hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
During their visit, the delegates studied how the probation and pretrial services system operates in federal court. The week included meetings in both Chattanooga and Knoxville with the U.S. Attorney, assistant U.S. attorneys, U.S. probation officers, U.S. District and Magistrate Judges, local defense attorneys, and federal, state, and local law enforcement representatives. They also attended court hearings to observe typical proceedings in federal court.
Additionally, to ensure they experienced the local culture, leisure activities included a baseball game, a cookout, and concerts at the annual Chattanooga Riverbend Festival.
The Georgian delegates participating in this U.S. visit included a judge, three prosecutors, a defense attornet, other government officials and legal professionals, and a translator.
The delegation was accompanied by Tracey Newell, the director of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, and by Tatiana Pataraia and Nata Tsnoriashvili, Georgian staff attorneys at the U.S. Embassy who work with the DOJ’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) program in Georgia.
For the last two years, Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Steve Neff, a federal prosecutor with the Chattanooga office, was detailed as OPDAT’s RLA in Tbilisi. While on detail in Tbilisi, AUSA Neff worked closely with Georgian government officials as well as the Georgian legal and law enforcement community, including Justice Ministry officials, prosecutors, judges, investigators, and members of parliament, to develop and implement justice sector assistance programming aimed at modernizing Georgia’s criminal justice system. The visit of these delegates to the United States is a continuation of those efforts.
U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said his office and staff were pleased to host the Georgian delegation in their quest to enhance their justice system. “We are honored that they would choose to visit our office and district to help them understand the American system in a way that could help them further strengthen the rule of law in Georgia and aid them in their goal of Euro-Atlantic integration, including accession into the European Union and NATO,” he said. “Our partnership and friendship with Georgia is vital to the interests of both nations, and we welcomed the opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge with our friends from Georgia.”
Source: Department of Justice v