Charles Smith, the American who presided over the trial panel, and the US response following the judgment

American judge Charles L. Smith III presided over the Kosovo Specialist Chambers trial panel in The Hague that delivered the judgment against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. That same day, the United States said it respected the decision and called on all parties to accept it.

Smith was not the only judge involved in the decision. Alongside him, the panel comprised judges Christoph Barthe and Guénaël Mettraux, while Fergal Gaynor served as the reserve judge.

Following the delivery of the judgment, a US State Department spokesperson said that the United States respected the Specialist Chambers’ decision and called on all parties to accept it. Washington’s position was also reported by “Bota Sot.”

The US response does not mean that the United States drafted or issued the judgment. The judges of the Specialist Chambers perform their duties independently, and the decision rests with the trial panel.

Charles L. Smith III is a US citizen and has been on the roster of judges of the Specialist Chambers since February 7, 2017.

His official biography states that he served as an EULEX judge from 2010 to 2013. During the same period, he was also a member of the Supreme Court of Kosovo.

In 2011–2012, Smith was elected vice president of the EULEX Judges’ Assembly, and in 2013 he became its president.

Before his work in Kosovo, he had built a long career within the US justice system. In 1990, he was appointed a judge in the Fourth Judicial District of the US state of Iowa, and from 1996 to 2010 he served as chief judge.

From 1970 to 1989, Smith practiced law, handling civil, criminal, business and tax cases. He completed his legal education at Creighton University in the United States.

His professional experience also includes work as a mediator and arbitrator. Since April 2020, he has concurrently held the position of vice president of the Specialist Chambers.

Smith also previously presided over the trial panel in the case against Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj.

The decision concerning Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selimi is a first-instance judgment. The parties have the right to challenge it through the appeals process.