Marco Aurélio: "The authority on the street is the policeman, not the judge."
"We are authorities in the courtroom, with our robes on. On the street, we are citizens," said Supreme Court Justice Marco Aurélio, criticizing São Paulo State Court of Appeals judge Eduardo Siqueira, who insulted municipal civil guards in Santos (SP) to avoid being fined for not wearing a face mask to protect against the coronavirus.
247 - Supreme Court Justice Marco Aurélio said he was "appalled" by the attempt by São Paulo Court of Justice judge Eduardo Siqueira to use his position to intimidate two municipal civil guards in Santos (SP) in order to avoid being fined for not wearing a face mask to protect against the coronavirus.
"The authority on the street is the police officer, not the judge," he told [the newspaper]. Josias de Souza's blog"We are authorities in the courtroom, with our robes on. In the street, we are citizens," he added.
In April, the full Supreme Court decided that states and municipalities have the power to determine sanitary rules to combat Covid-19. "What is stated in the Federal Constitution is that it is up to the three levels of the federation—municipal, state, and federal—to take measures," said Marco Aurélio. "And these measures can be formalized by decree."
The magistrate caused a commotion when he was fined by officers for violating a municipal decree on the mandatory use of face masks. He called the officer an 'illiterate', tore up the fine, and threw the paper on the ground.