News Archive

Professor George E. Edwards served as a professor at the Indiana Judges Graduate Program, held in Nashville, Indiana, June 3-7, 2012. His course, titled “Piracy off the Coast of Somalia: What Would You as an Indiana Judge Do if Johnny Depp or Another Notable ‘Pirate’ Appears as a Piracy Defendant in Your Indiana Courtroom?” demonstrated that international law is relevant to Indiana law and practice.

The students in the graduate program were 30 Indiana State Court judges from different courts across the state. The judges were selected to take a series of courses taught by professors and judges from the U.S. and overseas.

The program was sponsored by the Indiana Judicial Center. The Center is the staff agency of the Judicial Conference of Indiana, and was created by statute. The legislature has charged the Judicial Conference with promoting continuing education of judges. Each class of judges that participates in the Graduate Program for Judges takes courses spread over two consecutive summers.

Professor Edwards conducted a simulation exercise for the judges with participants playing the parts of prosecutor, defense counsel, witnesses, and judges. The mock hearing focused on whether an Indiana court could conduct a trial involving alleged pirates who were accused of capturing an Indiana ship that was sailing off the coast of Somalia in East Africa.

Professor Edwards is the Carl M. Gray Professor of Law and is the founder and director of the law school’s Program in International and Human Rights Law.

(Pictured in the photo: Front Row (L to R): Senior Judge Betty Barteau; Justice Robert Rucker, Indiana Supreme Court; Judge Gail Bardach, Hamilton Superior Court #6; Judge Richard D’Amour, Vanderburgh Superior Court; Judge Stephen Bowers, Elkhart Superior Court #2; Professor Edwards; Judge G. George Pancol, Madison Superior Court #2; Judge Rick Maughmer, Cass Superior Court; Judge Michael Morrissey, Tippecanoe Superior Court; Judge Carol Orbison, Marion Superior Court; Judge Elaine Brown, Indiana Court of Appeals; Magistrate Marcia Linsky, Allen Superior Court; Judge Stephenie LeMay-Luken, Hendricks Superior Court #5; Judge Kathleen Lang, LaPorte Superior Court #1; Magistrate Greta Friedman, LaPorte Circuit Court; Magistrate Michael Pagano, Lake Superior Court; Judge Elizabeth Tavitas, Lake Superior Court; - Second Row (L to R): Judge James Osborn, Marion Superior Court; Judge John Baker, Indiana Court of Appeals; Judge Jonathan Cleary, Dearborn Superior Court; Justice Frank Sullivan, Indiana Supreme Court; Judge James Ahler, Jasper Superior Court; Judge Rex Kepner, Benton Circuit Court; Judge Kevin Barton, Johnson Superior Court #1; Judge Jerry Jacobi, Clark Circuit Court #2; Judge Richard Stalbrink, LaPorte Superior Court; Judge Paul Felix, Hamilton Circuit Court; Judge Robert Kirsch, Noble Superior Court; Judge Kathleen Coriden, Bartholomew Superior Court #2; Judge Monte Brown, DeKalb Superior Court; Magistrate Geoffrey Gaither, Marion Superior Court; Professor Geyh, IU Bloomington - Back Porch (L to R): Rt. Hon. Lord Iain Bonomy, Scotland; Professor Edward Purcell, New York Law School; Judge Matthew Headley, Putnam Circuit Court; Senior Judge Justice Randall Shepard; Judge Valeri Haughton, Monroe Circuit Court, Div. 8; Judge Fran Gull, Allen Superior Court; Judge Marc Rothenberg, Marion Superior Court)