Brazil's&nbsp;Supreme&nbsp;Court&nbsp;began debating on Thursday whether to overturn a three-year-old rule that convicted criminals must go to prison right after losing their first appeal and not wait until they have exhausted their appeal options.

The rule contributed to the success of&nbsp;Brazil's biggest&nbsp;corruption&nbsp;investigation, the so-called <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazils-ex-president-michel-temer-arrested-reports-204712">Car Wash operation</a> that put dozens of company executives and politicians in jail for bribes and kickbacks,&nbsp;including&nbsp;former leftist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ex-brazil-president-lula-convicted-on-graft-charges-sentenced-to-nearly-10-years-in-jail-17870">President Luiz Inacio&nbsp;Lula&nbsp;da Silva.</a>

The prospect of serving immediate prison time after losing a first appeal encouraged suspects to negotiate plea deals with prosecutors, providing them with information that helped unravel the biggest graft scheme in&nbsp;Brazil's history.

Lula&nbsp;and many others convicted of&nbsp;corruption&nbsp;in the Car Wash investigation&nbsp;could&nbsp;be released from prison if the top&nbsp;court&nbsp;reverses the rule, as expected when the justices vote on October 24.

Justice Marco Aurelio de Mello, the second-longest-serving justice on the 11-member&nbsp;court, told Reuters on Wednesday he would vote for a return to the original rule that all appeals must be exhausted before a convicted defendant goes to prison.

Mello rejected criticism that the debate was geared to benefit&nbsp;Lula, who went to jail in July 2018 for 8 years and 10 months for receiving bribes from engineering companies in return for government contracts.

Mello told reporters at the&nbsp;court&nbsp;on Thursday that he expects a 7-4 decision in favour of allowing defendants the right to a full appeals process before they are imprisoned.

Former judge Sergio Moro, who handled most of the Car Wash trials and is now justice minister in the government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, said such a decision would be a big setback for&nbsp;Brazil's fight against&nbsp;corruption.

In Thursday's session, lawyers for political parties opposed to the rule and the&nbsp;Brazilian Bar Association argued that it violated the constitution, which establishes the presumption of innocence of a defendant throughout the appeals process.

"Whether we like it or not, whether we disagree with the Constitution or find it out of date, the fact is that this is what the Constitution says," said Jose Eduardo Cardozo, a former justice minister.

The top public prosecutor and the government's solicitor general, who have both defended the current rule, will have the closing arguments before the justices cast their votes.

According to the National Council of Justice, some 4,895&nbsp;convicts&nbsp;could&nbsp;potentially benefit from the rule change.

Brazil's Supreme Court began debating on Thursday whether to overturn a three-year-old rule that convicted criminals must go to prison right after losing their first appeal and not wait until they have exhausted their appeal options.

Brazil's Supreme Court began debating on Thursday whether to overturn a three-year-old rule that convicted criminals must go to prison right after losing their first appeal and not wait until they have exhausted their appeal options. The rule contributed to the success of Brazil's biggest corruption investigation, the so-called Car Wash operation that put dozens of company executives and politicians in jail for bribes and kickbacks, including former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The prospect of serving immediate prison time after losing a first appeal encouraged suspects to negotiate plea deals with prosecutors, providing them with information that helped unravel the biggest graft scheme in Brazil's history. Lula and many others convicted of corruption in the Car Wash investigation could be released from prison if the top court reverses the rule, as expected when the justices vote on October 24. Justice Marco Aurelio de Mello, the second-longest-serving justice on the 11-member court, told Reuters on Wednesday he would vote for a return to the original rule that all appeals must be exhausted before a convicted defendant goes to prison. Mello rejected criticism that the debate was geared to benefit Lula, who went to jail in July 2018 for 8 years and 10 months for receiving bribes from engineering companies in return for government contracts. Mello told reporters at the court on Thursday that he expects a 7-4 decision in favour of allowing defendants the right to a full appeals process before they are imprisoned. Former judge Sergio Moro, who handled most of the Car Wash trials and is now justice minister in the government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, said such a decision would be a big setback for Brazil's fight against corruption. In Thursday's session, lawyers for political parties opposed to the rule and the Brazilian Bar Association argued that it violated the constitution, which establishes the presumption of innocence of a defendant throughout the appeals process. "Whether we like it or not, whether we disagree with the Constitution or find it out of date, the fact is that this is what the Constitution says," said Jose Eduardo Cardozo, a former justice minister. The top public prosecutor and the government's solicitor general, who have both defended the current rule, will have the closing arguments before the justices cast their votes. According to the National Council of Justice, some 4,895 convicts could potentially benefit from the rule change.

Brazil Supreme Court ruling could free corruption convicts, including Lula da Silva

Brazil&#39;s election court voted Friday against stripping&nbsp;President Michel Temer of his office in a major boost to his chances of beating a gathering corruption scandal.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) -- considering charges that Temer&#39;s election in 2014 should be annulled because of the role of corruption money -- voted 4-3 to acquit the embattled center-right president.

The verdict spared recession-ravaged Brazil its second leadership crisis in 14 months, following the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff last year and her replacement by her then-vice president Temer.

The lead judge on the TSE case, Justice Herman Benjamin, headed the push to sack Temer with a damning portrait of how systemic undeclared donations and bribes from big Brazilian corporations fatally undermined the 2014 Rousseff-Temer election in Latin America&#39;s biggest country.

&quot;This is enough to invalidate the mandate,&quot; he said.

But in a marathon process during which each of the seven judges voted one by one, giving detailed arguments, the tide turned. Finally, the TSE&#39;s president Gilmar Mendes cast the deciding vote with a call for cool heads and stability at a time of national turmoil.

&quot;You don&#39;t switch the president of the republic every hour,&quot; he said. &quot;There are serious proven facts but not enough to annul the mandate.&quot;

Clearly feeling strengthened, Temer fired a dramatic shot in a separate obstruction of justice case that he faces by refusing a demand by prosecutors to provide a written deposition by Friday. He demanded that the probe against him be shut down instead.

Temer&#39;s legal problems -- on top of corruption probes opened against a third of his cabinet and many of his congressional allies -- come just as Brazil is struggling to exit its worst recession in history.

If the TSE had removed Temer, Congress would have had to pick a new interim president to serve the rest of his term to the end of 2018.

&#39;Comedy&#39;&nbsp;

A presidential palace source told AFP that Temer was &quot;serene, calm, confident.&quot;

But after the TSE drama, attention will now turn to Temer&#39;s battle against the parallel case in which he is accused of obstruction of justice and corruption.

Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot alleges that Temer agreed to payments of hush money to former lower house of Congress speaker Eduardo Cunha, who is in prison for corruption.

Janot had ordered Temer to answer 82 questions in writing by late Friday as part of his building of the case. Rather than meet the deadline, Temer&#39;s lawyers branded the probe a &quot;comedy,&quot; an &quot;inquisition&quot; and &quot;arrogant.&quot;

Temer says the central piece of evidence in Janot&#39;s probe -- a secretly made audio recording of a conversation he had with a meatpacking industry tycoon -- was doctored.

But analysts say Janot could soon up the ante by moving from the current investigation to requesting formal charges.

Under the constitution, the lower house would have to approve the charges by a two-thirds majority before a trial could start in the Supreme Court.

That approval process in Congress could be lengthy and Temer is working daily to maintain enough support among legislators to defeat any eventual charges.

If he goes, the speaker of the lower house would take over for 30 days during which legislators would choose a new interim president to serve through 2018.&nbsp;

The lack of a clear consensus figure is thought to be the major reason why allies have not yet deserted Temer.

The main partner to his PMDB party in the ruling center-right coalition, the PSDB social democrats, has shown signs of jitters and was due to meet next week on its stand.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) voted 4-3 to acquit the embattled center-right president

Brazil's election court voted Friday against stripping President Michel Temer of his office in a major boost to his chances of beating a gathering corruption scandal. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) -- considering charges that Temer's election in 2014 should be annulled because of the role of corruption money -- voted 4-3 to acquit the embattled center-right president. The verdict spared recession-ravaged Brazil its second leadership crisis in 14 months, following the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff last year and her replacement by her then-vice president Temer. The lead judge on the TSE case, Justice Herman Benjamin, headed the push to sack Temer with a damning portrait of how systemic undeclared donations and bribes from big Brazilian corporations fatally undermined the 2014 Rousseff-Temer election in Latin America's biggest country. "This is enough to invalidate the mandate," he said. But in a marathon process during which each of the seven judges voted one by one, giving detailed arguments, the tide turned. Finally, the TSE's president Gilmar Mendes cast the deciding vote with a call for cool heads and stability at a time of national turmoil. "You don't switch the president of the republic every hour," he said. "There are serious proven facts but not enough to annul the mandate." Clearly feeling strengthened, Temer fired a dramatic shot in a separate obstruction of justice case that he faces by refusing a demand by prosecutors to provide a written deposition by Friday. He demanded that the probe against him be shut down instead. Temer's legal problems -- on top of corruption probes opened against a third of his cabinet and many of his congressional allies -- come just as Brazil is struggling to exit its worst recession in history. If the TSE had removed Temer, Congress would have had to pick a new interim president to serve the rest of his term to the end of 2018. 'Comedy' A presidential palace source told AFP that Temer was "serene, calm, confident." But after the TSE drama, attention will now turn to Temer's battle against the parallel case in which he is accused of obstruction of justice and corruption. Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot alleges that Temer agreed to payments of hush money to former lower house of Congress speaker Eduardo Cunha, who is in prison for corruption. Janot had ordered Temer to answer 82 questions in writing by late Friday as part of his building of the case. Rather than meet the deadline, Temer's lawyers branded the probe a "comedy," an "inquisition" and "arrogant." Temer says the central piece of evidence in Janot's probe -- a secretly made audio recording of a conversation he had with a meatpacking industry tycoon -- was doctored. But analysts say Janot could soon up the ante by moving from the current investigation to requesting formal charges. Under the constitution, the lower house would have to approve the charges by a two-thirds majority before a trial could start in the Supreme Court. That approval process in Congress could be lengthy and Temer is working daily to maintain enough support among legislators to defeat any eventual charges. If he goes, the speaker of the lower house would take over for 30 days during which legislators would choose a new interim president to serve through 2018. The lack of a clear consensus figure is thought to be the major reason why allies have not yet deserted Temer. The main partner to his PMDB party in the ruling center-right coalition, the PSDB social democrats, has shown signs of jitters and was due to meet next week on its stand.

Brazil election court votes not to oust President Michel Temer

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Brazil Supreme Court ruling could free corruption convicts, including Lula da Silva

Brazil election court votes not to oust President Michel Temer