Brazil's CNJ punishes Bahia judge over criminal leader's house arrest

The National Council of Justice (CNJ) has unanimously punished Luiz Fernando Lima, a judge from the Court of Justice of Bahia (TJBA), for granting house arrest to Ednaldo Freire Ferreira, also known as ‘Dadá’. Ferreira is a founder of the ‘Bonde do Maluco’ (BDM) criminal faction and faces investigations for homicide, drug and arms trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime.

The judge granted the house arrest based on claims that Ferreira needed to care for his son, who has level 3 autism. However, the CNJ rapporteur, Noemia Porto, stated that while the diagnosis was proven, there was no evidence that Ferreira was the sole or indispensable caregiver. The council also noted that the judge failed to properly consider the circumstances of the preventive detention, including the fact that Ferreira had been arrested in Pernambuco and was subject to a specialized criminal organization warrant.

Lima has been sentenced to two years of availability with proportional pay. Although he will not be removed from his position due to reaching the mandatory retirement age, the penalty will be officially recorded in his functional records.