Superior Court of Justice (STJ)

Court created in 1988 to standardize the interpretation of federal law (33 justices, Brasília); Felix Fischer was the Lava Jato rapporteur at the STJ from December 17, 2015.

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STJ judged Deltan Dallagnol: The Fourth Panel of the STJ ordered Dallagnol, in a civil judgment, to pay Lula R$75,000 in compensation (REsp 1.842.613).
Sources (1)
On March 22, 2022, the STJ Fourth Panel, by majority, in REsp 1.842.613, ordered Deltan Dallagnol to pay R$75,000 in compensation for moral damages to Lula over the 2016 'PowerPoint' press conference, plus 20% in attorney's fees and costs; Lula had asked for R$1 million, and the lower courts had dismissed the claim.
Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document
Source: Dallagnol pagará R$ 75 mil a Lula por entrevista do PowerPoint — Superior Court of Justice, Mar. 22, 2022 · body of the news item · open original ↗
Felix Fischer worked for STJ: STJ justice from December 17, 1996 to August 22, 2022; Lava Jato rapporteur at the STJ since December 17, 2015.
Sources (1)
Felix Fischer was an STJ justice from December 17, 1996 to August 22, 2022 (retired before age 75), STJ president from September 1, 2012 to September 1, 2014, rapporteur of Lava Jato at the STJ since December 17, 2015 (succeeding Marcelo Navarro Ribeiro Dantas) and sat on the Fifth Panel.
News reportSingle source
Source: Felix Fischer (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Offices · open original ↗

Evidence

On March 22, 2022, the STJ Fourth Panel, by majority, in REsp 1.842.613, ordered Deltan Dallagnol to pay R$75,000 in compensation for moral damages to Lula over the 2016 'PowerPoint' press conference, plus 20% in attorney's fees and costs; Lula had asked for R$1 million, and the lower courts had dismissed the claim.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: Dallagnol pagará R$ 75 mil a Lula por entrevista do PowerPoint — Superior Court of Justice, Mar. 22, 2022 · body of the news item · open original ↗

The STJ found that Dallagnol acted with abuse of right by using non-technical language ('petrolão', 'propinocracia') and descriptions such as 'supreme commander of the corruption scheme', attributing to Lula facts that were not in the indictment; it set a base amount of R$50,000 (two-phase method), raised in the second phase to R$75,000.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: Dallagnol pagará R$ 75 mil a Lula por entrevista do PowerPoint — Superior Court of Justice, Mar. 22, 2022 · body of the news item · open original ↗

In a news item of August 10, 2022 (session date not provided), the Fourth Panel unanimously rejected the motions for clarification filed by Dallagnol, by Lula (who wanted a larger amount) and by the ANPR (which argued lack of standing to be sued), maintaining the judgment.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: STJ mantém condenação de Dallagnol a indenizar Lula — Superior Court of Justice, Aug. 10, 2022 · body of the news item · open original ↗

On June 25, 2022, STJ president Humberto Martins, in the request to suspend an injunction SLS 3133, suspended an injunction of the 6th Federal Court of Paraná (upheld by the TRF-4 presidency) that prevented the continuation of the TCU's special accounts proceeding against Dallagnol, citing risk to the TCU's autonomy, to public order and a 'multiplier effect'; the TCE investigates about R$2.8 million in per diems and airfare.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: Presidente do STJ autoriza retomada de processo no TCU que investiga ex-procurador Deltan Dallagnol por recebimento de diárias e passagens — Superior Court of Justice, June 25, 2022 · body of the news item · open original ↗

On June 7, 2023, the STJ Special Court, by 6 votes to 5, denied an appeal by Dallagnol; rapporteur Maria Thereza de Assis Moura was outvoted, along with Nancy Andrighi, Herman Benjamin, Raúl Araújo and Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva.

Judicial or administrative decisionSingle source

Source: STJ mantém decisão do TCU que condenou Dallagnol por diárias da Lava Jato — Gazeta do Povo, June 7, 2023 · body of the article · open original ↗

In August 2025, the STJ Special Court, by majority, denied Dallagnol's internal appeal in SLS 3133 (rapporteur Humberto Martins) and kept suspended the 6th Court's injunction that had halted the TCU's special accounts proceeding (TCE 006.470/2022-0), extending to the later injunction the effect of the 2023 decision; the inquiry into about R$2.8 million resumes; Isabel Gallotti, Antonio Carlos Ferreira and Sebastião Reis Júnior dissented.

Judicial or administrative decisionSeveral independent sources

Source: Corte Especial confirma que TCU pode seguir com apuração contra Deltan Dallagnol — Superior Court of Justice, Aug. 8, 2025 · body of the news item · open original ↗

Migalhas reports the same Special Court decision, with the rapporteur's vote joined by Mauro Campbell Marques and a dissent by Isabel Gallotti, joined by Antonio Carlos Ferreira and Sebastião Reis Júnior.

News reportSeveral independent sources

Source: STJ autoriza retomada de apuração do TCU contra Deltan Dallagnol — Migalhas, Aug. 6, 2025 · body of the article · open original ↗

In January 2023, the AGU was appealing to the STJ Special Court to maintain the presidency's decision that had suspended the Paraná Federal Court's decision annulling the TCU ruling; the TCE at the TCU is no. 006.470/2022-0.

News reportSingle source

Source: STJ analisa decisão que isentou Dallagnol de devolver recursos — Gazeta do Povo, Jan. 31, 2023 · body of the article · open original ↗

On March 22, 2022, the STJ Fourth Panel decided, by 4 votes to 1, that Deltan Dallagnol must compensate Lula for moral damages over the way he presented the indictment at the PowerPoint press conference of September 14, 2016.

Judicial or administrative decisionSeveral independent sources

Source: STJ condena Deltan Dallagnol a indenizar Lula em R$ 75 mil por PowerPoint — Bem Paraná, Mar. 22, 2022 · First paragraphs · open original ↗

On October 28, 2024, Justice Gilmar Mendes annulled all of Moro's convictions of Dirceu in Lava Jato; at the end of 2024 the STJ reportedly closed the remaining cases from the operation against him.

Judicial or administrative decisionSingle source

Source: José Dirceu (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section STF and annulment · open original ↗

Felix Fischer was an STJ justice from December 17, 1996 to August 22, 2022 (retired before age 75), STJ president from September 1, 2012 to September 1, 2014, rapporteur of Lava Jato at the STJ since December 17, 2015 (succeeding Marcelo Navarro Ribeiro Dantas) and sat on the Fifth Panel.

News reportSingle source

Source: Felix Fischer (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Offices · open original ↗

Teori Zavascki was a TRF4 appeals judge (took office on March 30, 1989; presided over the court from June 21, 2001 to May 7, 2003), STJ justice from May 8, 2003 to November 29, 2012 and STF justice from November 29, 2012 to January 19, 2017, when he died in a plane crash near Paraty (RJ); he was the Lava Jato rapporteur at the STF.

News reportSingle source

Source: Teori Zavascki (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · section Career and Death · open original ↗

The STJ, created by the 1988 Constitution, standardizes the interpretation of federal law; it has 33 justices and is headquartered in Brasília.

News reportSingle source

Source: Superior Tribunal de Justiça (verbete da Wikipédia em português) — Portuguese-language Wikipedia, Oct. 24, 2026 · lead · open original ↗