Former President Lula's Appeal Reaches Court in Record Time

08/25/2017 - 10h28

The proceeding that sentenced Brazil's former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to nine and a half years in prison related to the triplex apartment case, was brought to the TRF (Regional Federal Court) of the 4th region, in Porto Alegre, in record time.

There were 42 days between the decision rendered by judge Sergio Moro, in July, and the beginning of procedural progress in the court of appeal on Wednesday (23).

It is the fastest proceeding so far, from the decision to the TRF, among all appeals related to the "Car Wash" investigation, from Curitiba.

An unfavorable decision by the court in Porto Alegre would prevent the former president from running in the 2018 election.

The average for other appeals to arrive at the same stage was 96 days – or 84 days, if we consider the median (value that divides existing cases into two equal groups). Development of the proceedings ranged from 42 and 187 days.

Law experts oscillate between two opinions: that Lula's appeal followed the ordinary sequence; or that any action to speed up the decision violates the principle of equality before the law.

RANKING

Proceedings with only one defendant (such as the cases of former congressman Eduardo Cunha and ex Petrobras director Nestor Cerveró) and those in which only one of the parties filed an appeal are among the ten fastest appeals of the "Car Wash" investigation, brought to the TRF-4 in up to two months.

However, there are also proceedings which include more parties, such as the case of former-governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral (filed against seven defendants) and the case that resulted in the conviction of Lula's friend José Carlos Bumlai (ten defendants).

There are ten defendants in Lula's proceeding.

Translated by ANA BEATRIZ DEMARIA

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	Marlene Bergamo/Folhapress
	Ex-president Lula da Silva cheers supporters during a rally in Pernambuco state