South Carolina Governor Removed: See Next Steps in Impeachment Process | St. Catarina

Now the same court, made up of five deputies and five judges, needs to judge the complaint process against the governor for the case of the salary increase granted to state prosecutors in 2019. The defense denies that there has been a crime of liability.

• Understand the prosecution processes against Carlos Moisés
• Sentencing Court accepts accusation lawsuit against the governor of Santa Catarina

As a result, Lieutenant Governor Daniela Reinehr (non-party) assumes the government of Santa Catarina. He was also the subject of a complaint, but the court voted to reject his part.

At the same time, the governor must face another vote of the mixed court, with members yet to be defined, on the second request for impeachment. (Read more below)

• A trial will be instituted against Moisés, which must be carried out within 180 days by the same court.
• During the dismissal, the governor loses a third of his salary, which will be returned if he is acquitted in the next stage.
• According to the specialist Rogério Duarte, Moisés is prohibited from dispatching at the Administrative Center, but he can remain in the official State residence, Casa D’Agronômica.
• As of Monday (26), the complainant or lawyer Ralf Zimmer Júnior must present the prosecution witnesses within 48 hours.
• Then, the defense of Moses will have the same time to present the list of setbacks and the defense witnesses.
• Then, the president of the court may request that some point be investigated further and must set the date for the trial session, which must take place in the Alesc plenary session.
• If, in the test vote, Moisés is acquitted, returns to office and receives a third of the salary that has been deducted from him.
• If he is convicted at trial, Moses permanently loses his position and in line with the succession, Reinehr assumes the position; sentencing can only take place with a minimum of seven votes.

About the first prosecution process

• Opening: The impeachment request, made by public defender Ralf Zimmer Júnior, was accepted by Alesc on the afternoon of July 22. Eight days later, on July 30, the legislature officially opened the process. In the special commission, the elected rapporteur was Deputy Luiz Fernando Vampiro (MDB);
• Reason: suspicion of a crime of responsibility committed by the chief executives when a salary increase is granted to state prosecutors, through an administrative decision, in order to equalize salaries to those of legislative employees. The equity was granted in September 2019. The TCE ordered to suspend the payment of the increase in May;
• Archive and resume: in February the assembly presented a first impeachment attempt, but on May 11 public defender Ralf Zimmer Júnior attached more documents on the case and presented again;
• Voting in the Special Indictment Commission: On September 15, the commission voted unanimously to approve the report and the complaint continued in the House. Nine deputies considered the request;
• Voting in plenary: The report prepared by Deputy Vampiro was voted on by all deputies on September 17. The parliamentarians decided to continue the process;
• Constitution of the Sentencing Court: five deputies and five judges were chosen by lot on September 25;
• Voting in court decides removal: On October 23, the five state deputies and the five court judges decided to accept the complaint against Moses and reject Reinehr’s part;
• Clearance: Moisés will be removed from office for up to 180 days as of Tuesday (27);
• Who assumes these 180 days: the Lieutenant Governor, since the complaint against her was dismissed by the Court of Justice.

Other requests for impeachment

The governor is the target of a second request for impeachment, related to the purchase of 200 respirators by the state government for R $ 33 million without a tender. This second process was approved by the Alesc plenary session on Tuesday (20) and will now have the formation of another court of first instance. The vice was removed from the complaint.

On Monday (26), the five judges who will be part of this group are expected to be elected at the Santa Catarina Court of Justice (TJSC). Until the publication of this news, there was no date for the election of the five deputies who will make up the mixed court.

a third request for impeachment against the governor was handed over by the CPI of Respirators to Alesc on September 8. According to the assembly, this document was under analysis until the publication of this report. A fourth request, made by state deputy Ivan Naatz (PL), is also analyzed.

VIDEOS: Court that voted request for impeachment against governor and vice of SC