Court rulings in Acre involve pandemic violations and acquittal

The Criminal Chamber of the Court of Justice of Acre (TJAC) has issued two distinct rulings.

In one case, the court unanimously upheld the conviction of John Figueiredo, a convenience store manager. Figueiredo was found guilty of violating preventive sanitary measures by allowing crowds and alcohol consumption at a gas station establishment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite receiving warnings from authorities, the manager deliberately disregarded sanitary norms. He has been sentenced to pay a fine and perform community service.

In a separate matter, the TJAC overturned a previous sentence to acquit Raquel Silva Ramalho of attempted robbery resulting in death and corruption of minors. Although she had been sentenced to over 18 years in prison in the lower court, the appellate court determined there was insufficient evidence to support the charges. The decision was based on the principle of 'in dubio pro reo' after testimonies provided by adolescents during the police investigation failed to hold up under judicial scrutiny.