ELAW Fellow Goes to Court

ELAW Fellow Daena Rosa Lobo is sharing lessons with federal and state judges, and learning first-hand about the U.S.  judiciary system.

“It is important for me to see how other judicial systems operate,” says Daena, a sentencing judge in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Back home, Daena participates as an expert in training judges, prosecutors, and communities on environmental law and human rights through ELAW’s partner organization, Instituto de Derecho Ambiental de Honduras (Environmental Law Institute of Honduras, IDAMHO).

Daena toured the Wayne L.  Morse U.S.  Federal Courthouse in Eugene with Division Manager Christy Weller.  She sat in on a drug-trafficking case and met with James Cleavenger, who is clerking for Judge Michael McShane.

Judge Josephine Mooney gave Daena a tour of the Lane County Circuit Court, where Daena heard closing arguments in a sexual harassment case.  Judge Mooney introduced Daena to Judge Karsten Rasmussen and Judge Charles Zennaché, who helped Daena compare the U.S.  and Honduran judicial systems and learn about criminal sentencing guidelines.

Daena also met District Attorney Patricia Perlow, who described how she manages many diverse cases and how she assigns cases to her Deputy District Attorneys.

Judge Mooney accompanied Daena to the John Serbu Youth Campus and Juvenile Justice Center, where they met Judge Valeri Love and toured the facilities.  Daena and Judge Love spoke about differences between judicial systems in Oregon and Honduras and how judges in the U.S.  and Oregon try to help juveniles.

Many thanks to our local judiciary for providing valuable insight to our ELAW Fellow!

For more information about the ELAW Fellow’s Program, please contact:

Maggie Keenan
Communications Director &
Fellows Program Coordinator
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide
maggie@elaw.org
(541) 687-8454 ext.  106

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