Crusading judge tests boundaries of free speech in Brazil

By MAURICIO SAVARESE and JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) — With his athletic build and bald head, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes cuts an imposing figure. To some, his actions from the bench are more intimidating. De Moraes has been aggressively pursuing those suspected of undermining Brazil’s fragile democracy, investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro, arresting protesters on slim evidence and banishing some people from social media after they were accused of spreading conspiracy theories. De Moraes’ role as Brazil’s chief judicial power broker has expanded even further in the wake of this month’s attack on Brazil’s Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court by a mob of Bolsonaro supporters seeking to overturn the recent election results.