Brazilian journalist Marcos Antônio Moreira, owner of Super Site Good, was ordered to pay damages of over $12,000 (BR$ 21,800) to the ex-inspector general of justice for the state of Mato Grosso, Orlando Perri, reported MidiaNews.
Moreira wrote on his website that a training meeting of the inspector general had become a "costume ball." An image of Perri at the supposed party accompanied the text. The judge said the post was "malicious, the defendant (Moreira) used the photos taken during a moment of relaxation during the meeting with the goal of tarnishing the image of the plaintiff (Perri)," reported MidiaNews.
Moreira was tried in absentia when he did not show up to the trial. The journalist's defense lawyer argued that the text "only reflected information that Moreira had, passing it on to the public without inferring the constitutional guarantee of information, which is one of the pillars of our democracy."
Henrique Amorim, a host from TV Paulo, and the newspaper O Estado de MS were also recently sentenced to pay damages to people mentioned in their reports.
