Thursday, March 29, 2018

The Dean of the Law School, Augosto Vianna, is also the head prosecutor in Itapetininga. He took us on a tour of the Courthouse. The young man on the left is Alan, he is 17 years old and is in his first year at the law school. In Brasil, you go right from high school to Law School, it is a five year program compared to the seven years it takes to be an attorney in the States. In the States, you graduate with a Juris Doctorate. All night the Professors and Judges were calling Al, Dr. Barrus! In Brasil, to get a doctorate, it takes more schooling after graduating from the five years of law school. In the middle is Christian, Murad's son. Christian lives in Bountiful with his mother and has been down here in Brasil since November visiting his father. He will be going back to the States in May. The last gentlemen is the Dean of the Law School. In Brasil, the ONLY jury trial is one when someone intentionally kills someone. All other trials are tried before a judge and he decides. If you can see, they are standing in front of the chairs for the jury. There are seven. At the end of the trial, the jurors are dismissed and they are not allowed to talk to each other. They are given a piece of paper and told to write guilty or not guilty on it. It just takes four of the jurors to be in agreement for a guilty or not guilty sentence. In the States, out of the twelve jurors, all must be in agreement. There is no death penalty in Brasil.

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