On September 16, U.S. Embassy Resident Legal Advisor Jessica Kim facilitated a virtual judicial exchange between Bulgarian judges and U.S. judges. Chief United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Preston Deavers and United States District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. provided an overview of the U.S. federal criminal process, with the Bulgarian judges sharing similarities and differences in the Bulgarian system and specialized institutions. The judges exchanged best practices on effective case management and discussed the importance of judicial independence for an effective criminal justice system. This is part of an ongoing series of meetings between Bulgarian and American judiciary members to develop dialogue towards, and share knowledge on, judicial independence.
