Barbosa: the ruling in AP 470 is not yet ready.
Expected this week, the document that opens the appeals period in the trial of Criminal Action 470 has not been finalized, according to the president of the Supreme Court, Joaquim Barbosa; when questioned whether he will bring to the Court's plenary the appeals from the defense of convicted defendants, who request early access to the ministers' votes and more time to present their appeals, Barbosa remained tight-lipped: "I haven't decided, the judgment isn't even ready yet."
247 - Expected this week, the judgment in Criminal Action 470 is still pending, commented the president of the Supreme Federal Court, Joaquim Barbosa, this Tuesday. The minister said, before entering the session of the National Council of Justice (CNJ), that he has not yet decided whether to bring to the Court's plenary the appeals filed by the defense of defendants convicted in the Mensalão scandal. The defense lawyers are requesting early access to the ministers' votes and more time to prepare their appeals.
"I haven't decided yet, the ruling isn't even ready," Barbosa simply replied. According to the president of the Supreme Court, some ministers still need to sign the ruling before it can be published. The lawyers argue that, since the ruling is expected to be over 10 pages long, the five-day deadline stipulated in the rules for filing appeals would be insufficient.
Barbosa has already denied several requests from the defense to extend deadlines or to present their votes early. The defense then asked that the matter be analyzed by the 11 ministers who make up the plenary, but so far without success. Last week, in one of these decisions, Barbosa even said that the lawyers for former minister José Dirceu are trying to gain time "unduly" through "manipulation of legally established procedural deadlines."