In accordance with the procedures established in this law, the Jury is responsible for the
prosecution of members of Appeals Courts of any jurisdiction, of other judges, and of those
who work as State Attorneys and Prosecutors in the Office of the Public Prosecutor.
30. Article 12 provides that:
The commission of crimes or the poor performance of duties as defined in this law are grounds
for prosecution.
31. Article 14 indicates that:
The following constitutes poor performance of duties warranting the removal from office of
judicial magistrates, prosecutors, public prosecutors, and justices of the peace:
b) repeated and serious noncompliance with the obligations established in the National
Constitution, Procedural Codes, and other laws on the exercise of their duties;
c) failing to maintain personal independence in the exercise of their duties and submitting,
without any law requiring them to, to orders and instructions from higher-ranked magistrates
or from officials from other branches or agencies of the State;
g) demonstration of a clear-cut bias or ignorance of the law in trials, manifested through
repeated acts;
n) [giving] information or [issuing] declarations or comments to…third parties about the trials
they are handling, when they might affect their processing, or affect the honor or reputation
or the presumption of innocence established in the National Constitution; or [sustaining]
polemics about ongoing trials;
p) receipt of gifts or acceptance of promises or other benefits, directly or indirectly, from
persons who in any way may play a role or have an interest in the proceedings they are
handling….
32. Article 16 specifies that:
The proceeding shall be initiated before the Jury for the Prosecution of Magistrates upon a
charge being brought by the litigant or the professional concerned, who may do so personally
or through a proxy with special power of attorney; upon a charge being brought by the
Supreme Court of Justice, the Ministry of Justice and Labor, the Office of the Public Prosecutor,
the Chamber of Senators, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Council of Magistrates; and by the
Jury itself acting of its own accord.
The aforementioned individuals and entities may limit themselves to lodging a formal
complaint with the Office of the Prosecutor General of the State, which, if it sees fit to do so,
shall bring the appropriate charge.
33. Article 18 establishes the following:
The complaint having been presented before him, the Prosecutor General of the State, after
studying the merits of the accusations against the accused, shall, if warranted, bring the charge
before the Jury.
It may also order a preliminary discovery period related to the facts being alleged, to verify
their seriousness. If these procedural steps do not produce clear evidence that grounds for
removal exist, the charge shall not be brought and the case shall be closed, with the
complainant notified.
34. Article 19 indicates the following:
The brief brought before “the Jury” to advance the prosecution shall include:
a) the target of the prosecution;
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