# Criminal and judicial proceedings in Rio Grande do Norte > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/criminal-and-judicial-proceedings-in-rio-grande-do-norte > Updated: 2026-08-24T21:18:59.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2. Legal proceedings in Rio Grande do Norte have addressed various criminal investigations involving violent crimes and organized activity. In one case, the Court of Justice of Rio Grande do Norte (TJRN) upheld a decision to move two men to trial by jury for qualified homicide. The investigation concerns a suspected extermination group operating in Ceará-Mirim, with evidence including judicial wiretaps, WhatsApp messages from a group named ‘Os Caras Durões’, and testimony from a collaborator who entered a plea bargain. Separately, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Rio Grande do Norte (MPRN) has appealed a preliminary injunction that allowed military police officer Pedro Inácio Araújo de Maria to return to duty. Araújo de Maria was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for the qualified homicide and rape of Zaira Dantas Silveira Cruz in 2019. While the Military Police General Command ordered his expulsion for ethical violations, the MPRN is seeking to overturn his reinstatement to preserve institutional morality. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-24: Rio Grande do Norte prosecutors appeal reinstatement of convicted police officer The Rio Grande do Norte Public Prosecutor's Office is appealing a court decision that reinstated a military police officer convicted of the 2019 murder and rape of Zaira Dantas Silveira Cruz. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rio-grande-do-norte-prosecutors-appeal-reinstatement-of-convicted-police-officer ### 2026-08-17: Rio Grande do Norte court moves suspected extermination group members to trial Two men will face a jury trial in Rio Grande do Norte for alleged involvement in a Ceará-Mirim extermination group, supported by WhatsApp messages and wiretap evidence. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rio-grande-do-norte-court-moves-suspected-extermination-group-members-to-trial --- Cite as: Criminal and judicial proceedings in Rio Grande do Norte. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/criminal-and-judicial-proceedings-in-rio-grande-do-norte