Brazil: Courts
Key Facts
—Who. Cesar Ricardo Stoll, a reserve Army officer, must pay the owners of a dog named Cristal.
—What. R$22,142.20 (about US$3,900) in damages after the dog was shot and died in November 2024.
—Where. Sobradinho, an administrative district of Brazil’s Federal District, the territory around the capital, Brasília.
—Status. A first-instance civil ruling, the first court to hear the case; his defence says it will appeal.
—Power Index. Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
A Sobradinho civil court has ordered a reserve Army officer to pay about US$3,900 for shooting a neighbour’s dog. The ruling was reported on 14 November 2026, and the officer’s defence says it will appeal.
What the Court Ordered
Metrópoles, a Brasília news site, reported on 14 November 2026 that the 2nd Civil Court of Sobradinho ordered reserve officer Cesar Ricardo Stoll to pay R$22,142.20 (about US$3,900 at R$5.67 per US$) in damages to the dog’s owners: moral damages for their suffering and material damages for their losses. This is a civil judgment, not a prison sentence.
Metrópoles says Stoll shot the dog, Cristal, who was about 7 years old, with a .22-calibre rifle in a Sobradinho condominium, and that she died in the early hours after leaving home on 11 November 2024. SBT News, a Brazilian broadcaster, reported on 12 November 2024 that the Federal District Civil Police, the local criminal-investigation force, booked him on the spot on animal-cruelty charges, which carry two to five years in prison, and that he confessed to the shooting.
What Is Not Known
The officer’s defence told Metrópoles it respects the ruling, disagrees with its grounds and will appeal to the Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories, the regional appeals court. Metrópoles says he is free, and the report does not say when the appeal will be filed.
The ruling directly affects the dog’s owners and the officer. More Brazil coverage is on our Brazil page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the Brazilian officer convicted of a crime?
Not in this ruling. A civil court ordered him to pay damages, and Metrópoles reported no prison term. His defence says it will appeal.
How much must he pay?
Metrópoles reports R$22,142.20, which we convert to about US$3,900 at R$5.67 per US$ (13 November close). It covers moral and material damages and goes to the dog’s owners.
Sources
Metrópoles, 14 November 2026 · SBT News, 12 November 2024 · Exchange rate: R$5.67 per US$, 13 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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