Judge who freed Milton Ribeiro gains strength in the dispute to the STJ

Judge Ney Bello, from the Federal Regional Court (TRF) of the 1st Region, won this Thursday (23) more chance of being nominated for a vacancy in the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). He is on a quadruple list sent to the Planalto Palace last month by the STJ itself. It is up to the President of the Republic to choose two names to occupy the empty seats in the court. According to interlocutors of Jair Bolsonaro, Ney Bello has now locked himself up more to fill one of the vacancies.

Ney Bello is linked to STF minister Gilmar Mendes – who, in turn, has good dialogue with Bolsonaro. Yesterday, the president went to a dinner in honor of the minister, who completed 20 years in the Supreme Court. The judge was already one of Bolsonaro’s favorites for the STJ. Upon releasing a former government minister, he is now considered the favorite for the vacancy.

It weighs against Ney Bello that Minister Kassio Nunes Marques does not support him. Appointed to the STF by Bolsonaro, Nunes Marques is today one of Bolsonaro’s main interlocutors in court.

The expectation in the Judiciary and in the political environment, however, is that Bolsonaro leaves the appointments for after the October elections. Until then, the campaigns for the STJ continue behind the scenes. Among the members of the quadruple list is also the judge Messod Azulay, who has the support of the STJ minister Luís Felipe Salomão.

Another contender for one of the seats is judge Paulo Sergio Domingues, who has the support of STF ministers Dias Toffoli, Nunes Marques and André Mendonça. Toffoli and Mendonça also have good dialogue with Bolsonaro.

The fourth nominee on the list is judge Fernando Quadros, who has the support of minister Edson Fachin. His chance is practically nil. Fachin commands the TSE and Bolsonaro has publicly criticized the minister.