By Maira Magro
The editor of Jornal de Londrina, in Paraná state (south), has petitioned the Supreme Court to suspend a ruling requiring it to pay $353,000 for moral damages to an ex-mayor of Sertanópolis. The editor says the small paper will have to close if it’s obliged to pay.
According to the Portal Imprensa site, the Jornal de Londrina published reports in 1994 that accused the mayor of improper administration, based on declarations from a former councilman and a prosecutor. The ex-mayor was convicted in several courtroom and administrative proceedings, the Supreme Court says.
Nevertheless, a Paraná state court convicted the newspaper of moral damages ruling that the reports were published prematurely.
In another recent decision related to freedom of expression, the legal site Consultor Jurídico says it was prohibited from publishing information about a sealed administrative proceeding against a São Paulo judge.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
