Judges Under Fire in Santa Cruz | Jueces bajo la lupa en Santa Cruz

By Guider Arancibia, El Deber:

There Are 35 Judges Targeted by the Council for Dismissal for Very Serious Misconduct

Hay 35 jueces en la mira del Consejo para su destitución por faltas gravísimas

This Is How People Go to Court Every Day

Santa Cruz has 250 judges, and 35 are to be replaced for serious misconduct. Prosecutors accuse a judge of handling virtual precautionary hearings in a dubious way and of enjoying permits to travel.

The Council of the Magistracy is carrying out 147 disciplinary proceedings against judges in Santa Cruz, of which about 35 are under scrutiny for dismissal due to offenses classified as very serious in the exercise of their duties.

The president of the Council of the Magistracy, Carlos Spencer Arancibia, confirmed that according to reports from the Control and Oversight Unit, there are 147 disciplinary cases against judges who were reported for minor, serious, and very serious misconduct.

The authority explained that the judges under internal investigation are from the capital and the provinces, whose court offices were intervened in order to gather evidence regarding complaints from people who seek justice every day.

The interventions to collect evidence by Control and Oversight were carried out over the last three months.

It was detailed that the First Criminal Court of Warnes has 10 cases; Court 26 of the capital, 15; Court One of La Guardia, 15; the Samaipata court, 9 cases; Court 10 of the capital, 8 complaints; the labor court has 11 cases; the Yapacaní court, 14; the public commercial court, 38 complaints; the family court, 18; the labor court of the capital, 8 complaints, in addition to others.

Carlos Spencer stated that there are sanctions from one to six months without pay for minor, serious, and very serious misconduct. Judges with very serious offenses may be dismissed, and there are 35 under scrutiny.

However, he said that constitutional chambers stop and obstruct the process because they reinstate them and they continue in office until the Constitutional Court issues a final ruling.

Virtual Judge

Prosecutors in Santa Cruz filed complaints with the Council of the Magistracy over alleged irregularities by judges. They point to a judge from the judicial seat of District Six in Pampa de la Isla. She is accused of conducting precautionary hearings virtually and canceling in-person ones in a very suspicious and dubious manner. In the virtual hearings, she is accused of ordering the release of people implicated in sexual crimes against defenseless girls. Likewise, she has been accused of freeing defendants charged with crimes such as robberies and drug trafficking. Prosecutors also observed that this judge frequently enjoys permits with alleged medical leave to travel to European countries and to the United States, and that in a short time she accumulated costly assets such as luxury vehicles.

Data Center

The data center of the Departmental Court of Justice is also being questioned by prosecutors for alleged manipulation and concentration of cases in only a few courts to resolve high-profile cases.

The data center is responsible for the random assignment of cases to provide effective service to litigants. However, prosecutors argue that it is now being poorly managed, because curiously they see that cases involving notorious matters and habeas corpus actions are directed to only a few judges, ignoring fairness.

The Council of the Magistracy is analyzing these complaints under the disciplinary regime in order to apply sanctions. In Santa Cruz, capital and provinces, the Departmental Court of Justice has 250 judges.

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