Hello all; how is everyone doing? I hope all is fine and well. As for me, let me start by apologizing for taking so long to update my blog. Work has been crazy the past month. Between work and spending time with my family and friends, especially my grandmother who has been sick the past couple of week, I have been very busy. As you all know, spending time with my family is of utmost importance to me, especially since it's been 12 years since I saw most of them last. I'm learning so much about my heritage, history and family than I ever knew before. It is quite an emotional experience which is very important to me.
Also, fpr the past three week, I was attending court (in closed session), but due to the sensitivity of the testimony and safety of the witness, I am unable to discuss my experience.
This past week, I was assigned a new task--Witness Summaries. It is the most tedious but yet most educational task I have ever been assigned since being here. It involves reading the indictment against our client (Morris Kallon who is the second accused in the Revolutionary United Front Trial), reading all the pre-trial briefs, going through transcripts of witness testimony, determining if and how the testimony relates to a charged offense in the indictment, check for inconsistencies during direct and cross examination and then writing a memo/summary about the witness and his/her testimony to the court. This assignment has helped me learn a lot more about the case than I would have otherwise. It is a very important assignment because the attorneys will use it at the end of the trial for closing arguments and may even use it for an appeal if the circumstances so warrant. I feel flattered, humbled and pressured in being entrusted with such an important task. It is by the most legally-based task I have ever been assigned because it requires me to use good legal judgment in determining what's pertinent to a charged offense, how to attack the testimony and whether the witness was helpful or hurtful to our case. I enjoy the work very much. It is a lot of responsiblity, but I relish it.
Last week, I, along with other interns at the Court, were invited to the home of the U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone for a luncheon (Mr. Thomas N. Hull). It was a great way to meet people and socilaize a little. He welcomed all of us and ask us to enjoy ourselves. He walked around the room, introduced himself to everyone and will stand and have a five minute conversation with you. I was happy to learn that he had served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone about 38 years ago. He speaks Krio (Sierra Leone's primary language) and so does his wife. He asked me about my work at the Court, law schoool, living in the States compared to living in Sierra Leone etc; he also expressed to me how proud he is that so many Americans come to Sierra Leone to work at the Special Court.
On Thursday, I spent a the afternoon talking to kids at the orphanage about the law and its role in our socieity (I was invited to talk to the kids about law during my last visit). The kids were interested in International Criminal Law, Property, Torts, Criminal Law and Civil Procedure. I explained, in the simplest form, the general concepts of each class and how each is important in today's society. The kids had very interesting and poignant questions which made the experience even more enjoyable and educational for all of us. I will definitely miss these kids but I plan on visiting them again on Monday (it will be very difficult saying goodbye to them). As I indicated in my last blog entry, I look forward to your support in helping these children and so many others just like them in Sierra Leone.
I have a pretty busy week coming up because I will be attending Court again all this week to take notes on a very important witness and help the attorneys prepare for cross examination. I enjoy going to Court and learning the practical part of being an attorney. It is quite interesting and educational.
As many of you know, I have less than two weeks left in Sierra Leone and I plan on enjoying every minute of it with work and spending time with my family and friends. It will be very sad to say goodbye to my family and friends again, but I look forward to seeing and spending time with my family, girlfriend and friends in the states again.
Thank you all very much and I hope to hear from you all soon.
The Pictures include myself, Amb. Hull, Justice Doherty of the Special Court, my grandma (Diaka Waritary), kids from the orphanage (with me in the FSU Law t-shirt) and some friends.
