The Judicial Administration Body of the Supreme Court of Justice of Tamaulipas (STJT) temporarily removed Judge Mónica Pérez Chapa from the new accusatory criminal justice system and reassigned her to the traditional criminal justice system. This action was taken because she exceeded her authority by imposing a fine of 1.3 million pesos on a litigating attorney during an in-person hearing held in an oral trial courtroom of the Judicial Branch.
Legal experts consulted revealed the judge’s name, while in a statement released by the STJT on its digital platform, the Judicial Branch reported that, in compliance with regulations regarding the protection of personal data and the presumption of innocence, it withheld the judge’s identity.
The judicial authority indicated that the judge’s removal was intended to ensure that the new accusatory criminal justice system adheres to the administrative powers established by law, and that the disciplinary body would review the matter to determine whether the judge’s conduct in conducting her hearings was appropriate.
He explained that he is also seeking to determine whether the judge acted in accordance with the procedures and mechanisms established by applicable laws. He further emphasized that the actions taken are institutional in nature, aimed at improving the administration of justice and preserving jurisdictional capacity in accordance with due process.
The incident gained prominence due to the reaction of bar associations and law societies in the 13 cities of Tamaulipas, who questioned the judge’s actions and the permissive attitude of the judicial authority on digital platforms, as the authority failed to take action when the incident went viral.
According to legal experts, after analyzing the video in question, it is difficult to justify imposing the maximum legal sanction, rather than a different amount, since a judge has a broad range of applicable fines, as established by law, from 20 to 5,000 minimum wages.
Source: jornada
