A group of Serbian judges is in Charleston for the week to learn about the state and federal judicial systems.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Johnston and U.S. Magistrate Judge Dwane Tinsley spoke to the group Monday morning, and later in the day the judicial officials toured the West Virginia Supreme Court.
Federal judges were expected to explain how they were appointed to their positions and what kind of education and training they receive.
Supreme Court Justice Brent Benjamin spoke to the group Monday afternoon, along with the high court's administrator, Steve Canterbury and clerk, Rory Perry. They were also provided a tour of the courtroom inside the Capitol.
Three from the group already are sitting judges in Serbia and the other three are recent graduates of the country's judicial academy, said Jovana Mehandzic, facilitator for the group. The program requires that all of the participants be under age 45.
Participants want to learn what strategies work best in the U.S. and West Virginia and implement them in their own courtrooms, Mehandzic said.
"The Serbian judiciary is undergoing huge reform as part of the ongoing effort to make the country part of the European Union," she said. "We hope to maintain an independent judiciary and enhance efficiency and accountability."
The Center for International Understanding, a non-partisan organization based in Princeton, joined with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Congress's Open World Programs, to brings international professionals from emerging democracies to parts of Appalachia. Families in the area voluntarily invite the judges to stay in their homes during the week.
U.S. District Bankruptcy Judge Ronald Pearson, who retired earlier this month, helped plan the itinerary for the group, along with his law clerk, Iram Hasan.
"They are interested in seeing the day to day things about our court system," said Hasan. "They've had questions about the mediation process and are interested in watching the Blankenship trial."
Most of the judges have a background in criminal law and are in Charleston during the second week of the criminal trial for former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, who faces charges of conspiring to violate mine safety standards, thwart government inspectors to cover up the resulting hazards to workers and, also with making false statements to securities regulators and with securities fraud.
"This is an opportunity for an intensive exchange of opinions and perspectives with esteemed peers from the U.S. on a range of challenges the Serbian judiciary is faced with," Ivana Milovanovic, a basic court judge from Nis, a city in the southern part of Serbia, wrote in a statement about the program for the Gazette-Mail.
Later this week, the judges will meet with Kanawha prosecutors and public defenders, and members of the West Virginia State Bar. Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom will speak about his duties, along with a Magistrate Michael Sisson and retired Family Judge Mike Kelly.
A tour of the Federal Correction Institute at Beaver will take place on Wednesday.
Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.