In September, our council was honored to welcome a judge from the Central Administrative Court of Thailand to northwest Florida. Shelia Sims, Chief Deputy Court Administrator with the First Judicial Circuit, was indispensible in the preparation of his program. Ms Sims not only coordinated his time at the courthouse but also briefed everyone on Thai etiquette and protocol, ensuring that our delegate was greeted in the traditional Thai fashion throughout the day. Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council board member Joe Denmon also played a key role in this project as he spent part of his weekend and working hours providing extra hospitality to our visitor.
In addition to time in Pensacola, the judge’s national itinerary included stops in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Reno. The objectives of his program, as outlined by the U.S. Department of State, were to understand U.S. judicial system, to learn about federalism and separation of powers, to gain knowledge about civil and criminal justice systems, to examine how the U.S. process trials and manage court procedures, and to observe dispute resolution, mediation and judicial training.
To accomplish this, our program began at the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida with Lisa Bernau, Chief Deputy in the Office of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. The judge met Ernie Lee Magaha, Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Sheriff David Morgan, and Chief Judge Terry Terrell and joined prospective jurors in the jury assembly room where Judge Terrell addressed the group, thanking them for bringing life into the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Our visitor’s experiential learning experience continued as he observed citizens sworn into oath by Ms. Bernau and confirmed in the qualifications of jury duty by Mr. Magaha. Along with the members of the jury pool, our visitor watched a brief video explaining the role of juries, the importance of confidentiality, and how cases are structured. He next joined Circuit Judges Ron Swanson and Gary Bergosh in Judge Swanson’s chambers to continue discussion on the role of juries in the United States and to learn more about the differences between cases heard by county and circuit judges. The group moved to Judge Paul Rasmussen’s courtroom to observe voir dire, the process of questioning potential jurors.
Prior to his lunch with Joe Denmon and Judges Bergosh & Swanson at the Irish Politicians Club, our guest met with Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille and Ken Ridlehoover, Chief Financial Officer of the Office of the Public Defender. Discussion centered on juries, pleas, and a comparison between federal and state courts. With Judge T. Michael Jones and Chief Judge Terry Terrell, the dialogue focused on judicial challenges and the difficulties which would be involved in setting up a jury system in Thailand.
The group next headed to Pensacola City Hall where Mayor Mike Wiggins extended to the Thai judge an official welcome to the city, enjoying a brief tête-à-tête in his office and presenting him and his interpreter with certificates of honorary citizenship that afternoon at the Committee of the Whole. After an exchange of gifts, the judge accepted the mayor’s invitation to speak to the assembly and thanked all for their hospitality.
The next day, Joe Denmon joined Senior District Judge Lacey Collier and Judge M. Casey Rogers in welcoming the visiting dignitary to the U.S. District Courthouse. Judge Collier gave an overview of the role of the U.S. District Court in the U.S. judicial system and discussed, with the help of Mary Maloy, the use of technology in the courtroom, including that for evidence review and witness testimony.
Judge Rogers expounded upon the differences between civil and criminal cases and spoke about the naturalization ceremonies which take place at the courthouse. Deputy Clerk of Court Travis Green answered further questions and the delegation then toured the U.S. Marshall’s Office and prisoner holding area with Tom Miller of the U.S. Marshall’s Office.
As the morning continued, the group found themselves back in Judge Rasmussen’s courtroom, this time listening to testimony in the case whose jury selection they observed the day prior. Following this, the group dined with Buddy Gissendanner, Felony Chief for the Office of the Public Defender, where conversation included court procedures as well as Thai culture.
The guest next headed to the University of West Florida (UWF) where he met with Drs. Kimberly Tatum and Richard Hough who proudly presented the school’s new mock trial courtroom and introduced him to Professor Frank Dufon’s criminal justice class. The day’s lecture was on Interrogations vs Interviews and the appointment gave our guest the opportunity to observe an American class and to speak to the students about the Thai legal system.
Every program we prepare involves the volunteer efforts of many people, and this one was no exception. In addition to those listed above, we thank Dr. Don and Linda Radomski for providing a beautiful Sunday brunch to our visitor and his translator and for including Joe and Celeste Denmon, Tom and Kathy Kuehl, and Judge Swanson at the event. Thanks goes also to Debbie Rimmer, Kisha Murphy, Donna Carver, Joni White, and Dene Brooke for their assistance in this program, to the members of the U.S. Marshals Service who interacted with our Thai judge, and to the UWF students who engaged him in discussion.
