Public defenders in Brazil provide legal aid and secure judicial victories

Public defenders in Brazil are conducting various legal assistance initiatives across several states. In Mato Grosso, the Defensoria Pública secured a court order for the state and municipality of Primavera do Leste to provide cannabidiol to a six-year-old child with autism. Additionally, the Defensoria Pública do Estado de Mato Grosso successfully overturned a prison sentence at the Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) for a 23-year-old man, ruling that a judge had illegally ordered preventive detention without a request from the Public Ministry.

In Brasília, the Defensoria Pública do Distrito Federal is running its 19th “Defensoria nas Escolas” program, providing free DNA testing, legal aid for family matters, and document issuance at special education centers. In Minas Gerais, the “Defensoria Itinerante” project is scheduled to offer free legal guidance to residents in Betim.

In Cuiabá, legal actions continue regarding land disputes and fraud. The Defensoria Pública is working with 130 families facing eviction from a 4.2-hectare area in the Serra Dourada neighborhood. Separately, the judiciary upheld a conviction for a man who committed procedural fraud by taking a breathalyzer test on behalf of a drunk driver involved in an accident.