The U.S. Plea Bargaining Team in Riga

Riga, April 21, 2007. – The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that a legal team from the U.S. will begin a four day working visit to Riga to discuss the concept and procedure of “plea bargaining” and its use in judicial systems. The U.S. experts will meet with Latvian judicial counterparts, government and NGO representatives and the press and media. They are:

o Judge Stanley R. Chesler – United States District Judge, United States District Court, District of New Jersey

o Richard Coughlin – Federal Public Defender, District of New Jersey

o Marc D. Larkins – United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey

The goal of the visit is to explain how plea bargaining is used in the U.S. system, when it is used, and the impact it has on all the people involved in the judicial process.

On Wednesday, April 23, there will be a round table discussion “The Impact of Plea Bargaining” at Riga Graduate School of Law. The discussion will include representatives from Latvian government, judiciary, law enforcement, political parties, academic experts, and NGO's.

U.S. Embassy, Riga, Public Affairs Section
Smilšu iela 7
Rīga, LV 1050
Phone: 371 6750-9022
Internet: riga.usembassy.gov
Media specialist's e-mail: dilanes@state.gov