RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro (ALERJ) has determined the five deputies who will make up the Mixed Special Court that will judge the impeachment of removed governor Wilson Witzel.
The members’ election occurred on Tuesday, September 29th, but the final result was delayed because there was a tie between two deputies and the election was subject to a recount.
Deputies Alexandre Freitas (Novo), with 55 votes, Chico Machado (PSD), 54 votes, Waldeck Carneiro (PT), 51 votes, Dani Monteiro (PSOL), 37 votes, and Carlos Macedo (Republicans), with 34 votes, were elected. Macedo was tied with deputy Anderson Moraes (PSL), who also earned 34 votes, but was overruled by the tiebreaker criterion for being younger.
The elected members will form the Mixed Special Court alongside five Appellate Court (TJ) judges selected on Monday.
The Mixed Special Court has up to 120 days to complete the trial. Should there be a tie vote on impeachment, the TJ Chief Judge will have the tie-breaking vote. To revoke Wilson Witzel’s mandate the votes of seven out of the ten members will be required, that is, two-thirds of the court’s composition.
Witzel has already been removed from office since August 28th by a ruling of the Federal Superior Court (STJ). Once the Mixed Court receives the indictment, the governor will be further removed from office due to the impeachable crime of accountability.
Source: Agência Brasil